“The power of Wikipedia in shaping people’s awareness is so important because even the smallest bit of research can make a difference.” -Jamilah Thomas, senior, East Carolina University
Consider the number 14,809 — the number of articles under the scope of WikiProject Indigenous peoples of North America that seeks to “encompass all current, historic, ethnic, legal, and cultural aspects of the many groups collectively described as Indigenous peoples of North America.” For the English Wikipedia, this represents only 0.21% of all articles on the English Wikipedia. Even the creation of a single article in an underrepresented topic area can set off ripples of impact, which is why, as one of Wiki Education’s Wikipedia Experts, I was beaming with curiosity and excitement when I saw the article that East Carolina University student editor Jamilah Thomas created as part of her Wikipedia assignment.
Aware of the lack of representation in Hollywood and on Wikipedia, Thomas was inspired to create the article on the early 20th century Native American film organization, War Paint Club.
But her journey to the War Paint Club was not so simple. A senior majoring in English with a minor in Film Studies, Thomas shared she initially wanted to create the biography article for Native American actress White Bird. Like many editors that attempt to write about underrepresented topics on Wikipedia, Thomas ran into an unfortunate but all too familiar roadblock, one that I witness editors run into time and time again, and that I myself have encountered when editing — not enough published reliable secondary sources on the topic (in this case, White Bird).
“I found myself wanting to know more about White Bird as a person besides her contributions,” explained Thomas. “But I decided I could only focus on the War Paint Club due to the lack of sources found. I asked myself questions like who created the organization? Why was it formed?”
For Thomas, creating the War Paint Club article was key to shedding light on the history of Native Americans in Hollywood and the figures that supported this community.
“I hope that readers understand how this club was important for Native American actors in early Hollywood,” said Thomas. “White Bird, a major founder, did so much for the community at the very beginning.”
Thomas understood the impact she made by filling in this content gap of Native American film history. I was impressed that even though she was unable to create the biography on White Bird, she quickly hatched a plan to plant the seed for others in the community to develop this little corner of the encyclopedia.
When reflecting on her editing experience, Thomas spoke like a true Wikipedian.
“The power of Wikipedia in shaping people’s awareness is so important because even the smallest bit of research can make a difference,” said Thomas. “Just by adding the War Paint Club to Wikipedia, I have now also introduced White Bird as well. Even if we have come so far from early Hollywood representation, we still have a long way to go and the War Paint Club proves that these discussions should still be had.”
Throughout the project, Thomas honed her skills in research, time management, and summarizing information in her own words. The student editor shared how this preparation aligned well with her future goals of becoming an archivist, especially when it came to the research portion of the project.
Like many of the student editors we work with, Thomas at first felt insecure and a bit worried about sharing her work to the public facing platform. But her feelings quickly changed after getting over that hurdle and mustering the courage to press publish.
”This project ended up being more fun than I thought it would be,” said Thomas. “The feeling that I contributed to adding a topic that once didn’t exist on Wikipedia was wonderful!”
Even though the class assignment is over, Thomas is already thinking about diving into research mode once again to improve Wikipedia’s coverage on White Bird and the War Paint Club, and my Wikipedian heart couldn’t be happier to hear this!
Interested in incorporating a Wikipedia assignment into your course or know an instructor who may be interested? Visit teach.wikiedu.org to learn more about the free resources, digital tools, and staff support that Wiki Education offers to postsecondary instructors in the United States and Canada.
