News

Category: Black History Month

Ergo Sum Story

Behind the Wikipedia articles educating thousands about the 1838 Jesuit sale of enslaved people

It’s June 19, 1838. No one knows it yet, but the American Civil War will kick off in just over two decades. Slavery in the United States will come to an end after that conflict—but for now, the sale of enslaved human beings is still legal. Now, let’s bring in the Jesuits, a Catholic religious….

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Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Story

The Smithsonian’s quest to expand the history of Black women in food and drink on Wikipedia

The history of Black Americans has often been lost, overlooked, or credited to others. Unfortunately, that also includes the influence of Black women on the United States’ food and drink history. Meet Lena Richard: the first Black woman to host a cooking television show in the United States. That may sound like a big achievement,….

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AfroCROWD Story

Celebrating eight years of AfroCROWD diversifying Wikipedia

Wikipedia is known for being the world’s largest encyclopedia that anyone can edit—but that does not mean everyone does. Whether due to social, political, or technological barriers that prevent people from sharing what they know with the world, the site is still missing out on a lot of the world’s wealth of knowledge. In particular,….

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Black Lunch Table Story

Black artists belong on Wikipedia — Black Lunch Table is making it happen

The school lunchroom can conjure up all kinds of memories. For the founders of the non-profit Black Lunch Table (BLT), it brought inspiration.   The lunchroom offers a shared space for people to come together and connect. Black Lunch Table aims to replicate this experience. Since its founding in 2005, the oral history archiving project has….

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Who tells your story on Wikipedia

Growing up, my father was the storyteller of our family. He would use stories to encourage me, to remind me of how important it was to be proud of who I am, to teach me about our family history, and to make me laugh. Before I knew enough to ask questions, I was soaking up….

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