Publish at October 27 2021 Updated November 04 2021
A Historical time is often described as an objective court, smoothing out superficial debates and smoothing out the froth of polemics or fads. And yet, the memory that is shared in encyclopedias and biographies carries and reinforces many biases. Thus, certain categories are under-represented in the pages of Wikipedia, but they also suffer from clichés. Groups of editors are working to rebalance the presence of gender and geographical origins through the records of illustrious people.
Working groups are being created in many French-speaking groups. They weave links with other actors committed to reducing gender bias on the Internet, and in particular on Wikipedia. Exchanges are regular, dedicated pages that gather contributions related to the same project. Since 2016, the "pageless" have been able to produce biographical records for more than 5000 people, as does Women In Red in the English language versions.
The biographies show how difficult it has often been for those featured to gain access to training and positions. Obstacles persist in promotions and career paths, as evidenced by the life of Antonia Brico, a conductor. And finally, the entries testify to the gaps in visibility that grow over time.
A careful and responsive organization of the team identifies illustrious people absent from the encyclopedia, those whose pages can be improved, or those who have no illustrations. The project description page is in constant motion. It mixes a regular status of progress and some useful knowledge to get started. The group brings up illustration and writing needs, most viewed articles, or any information that may be relevant to the project.
The updated documentation allows onboarding for any newcomer, who understands the logic in a few minutes, spots priorities, and can inform the community of their contributions. However,it Is not about scribes locked around thousands of pages. The group encourages mutual aid, values contributions on social networks, and regulates work. Thus, if two illustrators are working on the same character, they will be invited to coordinate. The Instagram account @lessanspagEs links to numerous biographies while its almost daily story maintains the link with the contributors. As for illustrations, dedicated pages offer lists to portraitists.
Other projects propose to restore balance to who appears in Wikipedia. Thus, "blacken Wikipedia" builds references on African or African diaspora culture and personalities. Finally, to leave the world's leading encyclopedia, one will find on social networks accounts dedicated to scientists that often restore gender bias. For example, the 366 portraits account quickly presents a scientist's portrait each day.
Let's move away again. In Paris, at the Père-Lachaise cemetery, visitors gather regularly. They pass from one grave monument to another and sometimes stop in front of unkempt graves of no apparent interest. A visitor can become a lecturer for twenty minutes or so. These people who wander around are reminded of the "Italians who made France". They draw an invisible thread between the many tombs where illustrious Italians are buried, whose memory is sometimes still alive, sometimes almost extinct. This work of referencing and biographical research has resulted in a book, presented in many Italian communes.
These voluntary and committed activities are not just about restoring a form of justice, bringing visibility to those who might have been forgotten. Highlighting the Italians of Père-Lachaise is also about showing how much Italian immigration has contributed to shaping French culture. Bringing women who have been forgotten into the encyclopedias also provides positive examples and helps combat clichés.
Resources :
Wikipedia : who's talking about what - Lecture given at the University of Geneva - September 2015
https://mediaserver.unige.ch/play/90511
Twitter account that values contemporary women in science
https://twitter.com/366portraits
Comites Parigi - Présentation du livre : les Italiens du Père-Lachaise - February 2020
https://www.comitesparigi.fr/litalia-del-pere-lachaise/
L'Italia del Père-Lachaise. Vies extraordinaires des Italiens de France et des Français d'Italie
https://www.decitre.fr/livres/l-italia-del-pere-lachaise-9791094464243.html#ae85
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