In-Person Events in Ghana: Empowering Editors to Amplify Black Artists’ Representation

On December 14, 2024, the Black Lunch Table Regional Proxies hosted two in-person events in Tamale and Accra, Ghana. The events brought together Wikimedia participants to create, edit, translate and enhance Wikipedia articles about Black artists.The events were organized in collaboration with local Wikimedia communities. In Tamale, the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group partnered with the program, while in Accra, the Ghanaian Pidgin Community was the partner.Hamidu Rukaya (User:Ruky Wunpini) and Mohammed Kamal-Deen Fuseini (User:Dnshitobu) facilitated the events, providing comprehensive training sessions for new editors. The participants learnt essential skills such as: creating a Wikipedia account,creating a new article, linking Wikidata items to Wikipedia articles and how to access articles on the event meta page.

The events used the interactive sessions and hands-on editing model to train participants through practice and this boosted the confidence in their ability to contribute to Wikipedia and to the contest at large. The events attracted a mix of experienced and new editors, all united by their passion for promoting diversity and representation on Wikipedia.Building on the success of these events, a one-month contest was launched from December 15, 2024, to January 15, 2025. The contest encouraged participants to continue creating and improving Wikipedia articles about Black artists to amplify and increase the visibility of their works.

Some Pictures From the Accra Event

Some Pictures from the Tamale Event

Winners of the contest can be found in Commons by searching through the category Black Lunch Table Events