Join us in Atlanta, where we will commemorate the emancipation of slaves in Texas and throughout the (former) confederacy on June 19, 1865 by hosting a "Juneteenth Herstory Wikipedia Conference."

In the 21st century, questions of freedom and bondage lie in the control of data--its creation, management, and accessibility. Thus, we aim to strengthen the cultural memory of Juneteenth. Wikipedia, one of the top five most popular websites online, lacks adequate coverage of this pivotal moment in Black Herstory. The liberation of enslaved Africans and their descendants in the United States ought to be much more than a "start class" article on Wikipedia. The platform's race and gender content gaps have been well-documented by numerous organizations including the Wikimedia Foundation, Art+Feminism, AfroCROWD, Black Lunch Table, etc. To improve the scope of notable content that disproportionately affects historically underserved populations, Wikipedia needs more racially diverse editors across a spectrum of women and gender categories.

To contribute to this critical problem, Dr. Alexandria Lockett, an Assistant Professor of English at Spelman College and Sherry Antoine, the Program Director and Outreach Specialist of Afro Free Culture Crowdsourcing Wikimedia (AfroCROWD) will be co-organizing this three-day event with key partners such as the Auburn Avenue Research Library. Together, we will focus on the significance of Juneteenth by participating in knowledge production activities that will enable the community to comprehensively construct Juneteenth's Herstory, or Freedom Day, with a special emphasis on women's involvement in events leading to and following liberation.