Linda's Blogspot

Eleven Years as a Wikipedian: Learning, Sharing, and Building Knowledge Together From Wikipedia editing to Alkebulan Wiki Edit and Study, a journey of discovery, conversation, and lifelong learning For eleven years, I have been involved with Wikipedia as a volunteer editor and content provider. During that time, I have learned that contributing to the world's largest online encyclopedia involves much more than writing articles or adding references. It is also a process of research, discovery, questioning, and learning how knowledge is created and shared. My experience has taught me something that I continue to appreciate: learning is not always a solitary activity, and the most valuable discoveries sometimes happen when people come together to explore a subject. I was reminded of this during the COVID-19 lockdown, when I created a weekly Zoom session called Alkebulan Wiki Edit and Study. What began as an opportunity to continue learning and sharing Wikipedia editing skills became s...

  Rooted in Knowledge: Youth, Storytelling, and Digital Innovation at the Black Farmers & Urban Gardeners Conference ​As the movement for food sovereignty expands across rural acres and urban plots, the definition of land stewardship is undergoing a vital transformation. At the Black Farmers & Urban Gardeners (BUGs) National Conference, passing the torch to the next generation involves far more than teaching the mechanics of planting and harvesting. Through its Youth & Community Education framework, the conference highlights a multi-disciplinary vision—one where digital tools, archival storytelling, and community-based learning converge to cultivate the next generation of environmental stewards. ​ Bridging Agriculture and Open Digital Knowledge ​Modern land defense and sustainable farming increasingly rely on data equity, open-access technology, and digital literacy. Rather than viewing technology as separate from nature, community-based educational models integrate...

Looking for What Is Missing: Wikipedia, Black History, and Community Development Why documenting the past matters to the future of African American communities As a longtime Wikipedia editor, I have developed a particular way of looking at information. I look for gaps. I want to know what has been documented, what has been overlooked, and what additional knowledge can help people understand the larger picture. This approach has influenced how I explore African American history. Recently, while examining the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Chicago Renaissance, I found myself thinking about more than the writers, musicians, painters, and intellectuals who made these movements famous. I began looking at the businesses, newspapers, banks, and community institutions that developed alongside their cultural achievements. These institutions tell another part of the story. The Harlem Renaissance was not simply a flowering of Black art and literature. Nor was the Black Chicago Renaissance merel...

Below a blog article bringing together the people, institutions, economic foundations, and lesser-known histories of the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Chicago Renaissance. It emphasizes these were not simply cultural movements, but also efforts to build community, establish institutions, and create economic opportunities Beyond Art and Music: The Harlem Renaissance and the Black Chicago Renaissance How Black communities built cultural movements, businesses, institutions, and networks of economic independence When we hear about the Harlem Renaissance, we often think of Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, jazz musicians, painters, and the flowering of African American literature and art during the 1920s. When we hear about the Black Chicago Renaissance, we think of writers such as Richard Wright and Gwendolyn Brooks, the paintings of Archibald Motley, the blues, and the cultural life of Bronzeville on Chicago's South Side. These artists and intellectuals made extraordinary contri...

A piece of Black history hidden for more than 50 years is finally coming to the screen. Once Upon a Time in Harlem: When the Architects of the Harlem Renaissance Told Their Own Stories A film recorded in 1972 brings the voices, memories, and experiences of Harlem Renaissance pioneers to the screen more than 50 years later. On October 16, 2026, a remarkable piece of African American history arrives in theaters. Once Upon a Time in Harlem, filmed in 1972 by pioneering filmmaker William Greaves, preserves conversations among artists, writers, musicians, historians, and other cultural figures associated with the Harlem Renaissance. The gathering took place at the Harlem home of legendary composer and bandleader Duke Ellington. The people assembled there were not simply admirers of the Harlem Renaissance. Many had participated in the cultural movement themselves. They had created its art, written its literature, performed its music, built its institutions, and helped shape its intellectual ...