AfroCrowd

AfroCrowd (stylized as AfroCROWD) is an initiative to create and improve information about Black culture and history on Wikipedia. The New York City-based project was founded by Alice Backer in 2015.[1][2]

AfroCrowd
Formation2015 (2015)
FounderAlice Backer
Websiteafrocrowd.org

Background and description

Some observers have noted a dearth in content pertaining to sub-Saharan African history on Wikipedia.[3]

In 2015, Daniella Bien-Aime of The Haitian Times called AfroCrowd "a multilingual initiative to increase Afrodescendant participation in crowdsourcing initiatives such as Wikipedia".[4] Described as a "do-it-yourself initiative",[5] AfroCROWD hosts edit-a-thons and talks across the New York metropolitan area.[1] The group has partnered with the Brooklyn Public Library[6] and other organizations such as the Haiti Cultural Exchange and Haitian Creole Language Institute to host these events.[7] AfroCROWD also seeks to increase the number of people of African descent who actively take part in the Wikimedia and open knowledge movements.[8]

History
Alice Backer in 2015

In 2015, lawyer Alice Backer launched AfroCROWD to "rectify Wikipedia's lack of articles about black history and black culture".[1][2] According to Backer, the aim of the project is to "give people of color opportunities to do more than participate in and consume social media".[9] Daniella Bien-Aime included Backer in The Haitian Times' 2015 list of 10 "Haitian social media influencers you should follow".[4]

In 2020, leading up to Juneteenth, AfroCrowd hosted efforts to improve Wikipedia articles related to civil rights.[10] The group has received funding from the Wikimedia Foundation.[11]

See also

References
  1. Allum, Cynthia (February 29, 2016). "Women leading movements to champion equality on Wikipedia". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 10, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  2. Delices, Patrick. "Black Digital Empowerment Through AfroCROWD workshops". Black Star News. Archived from the original on August 10, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  3. Matsuuchi, Ann (2017). "Connecting Wikipedia and the Archive: Building a Public History of HIV/AIDS in New York City". WikiStudies. 1 (1). Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  4. "10 Haitian Social Media Influencers You Should Follow". The Haitian Times. June 15, 2015. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  5. Harrison, Stephen (January 14, 2019). "Happy 18th birthday, Wikipedia. Let's celebrate the Internet's good grown-up".
  6. Proffitt, Merrilee (April 2, 2018). Leveraging Wikipedia: Connecting Communities of Knowledge. American Library Association. ISBN 978-0-8389-1732-9.
  7. Jean, Fabiola (February 19, 2015). "AfroCrowd: Owning Haitian History Through Digital Empowerment". Haitian Times. Archived from the original on August 10, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  8. "AfroCROWD, ALP & CCCADI present AfroLatinoCROWD!". AfrobeatRadio. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  9. Murphy, Carla (February 4, 2015). "Can 'Black Wikipedia' Take Off Like 'Black Twitter'?". ColorLines. Archived from the original on October 21, 2017. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  10. Harrison, Stephen (June 9, 2020). "How Wikipedia Became a Battleground for Racial Justice". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  11. Harrison, Stephen (December 2, 2022). "The Huge Fight Behind Those Pop-Up Fundraising Banners on Wikipedia". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved February 15, 2023.

Further reading
Wikimedia Commons has media related to AfroCROWD.
Meta has related information at: AfroCROWD User Group
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