Ghanaian artist, Enam Bosokah, has underscored the relevance of art to the preservation of Black History.
According to him, the role of art in the construction and preservation of Black history leading to the achievement of accuracy in the reportage on the history of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) can never be underestimated.
“Throughout history, art has played a crucial role in telling stories about the histories of people. It is very relevant to the realization of Wiki Unseen’s vision of preserving the heritage of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour by helping draw attention to their biographies.
Visual aids are critical in helping us break down information for easier assimilation and thus activates the untold stories of the unseen, making them accessible to all,” he said.
The artist made these comments on the back of the launch of Wiki Unseen, a nouvelle invention of Wikimedia Foundation in collaboration with AfroCROWD.org and Bēhance, aimed at improving information about Black culture and history on Wikipedia.
Speaking in an interview, Mr. Bosokah noted that the addition of illustrations to the biographies of underrepresented African stories which a key objective of Wiki Unseen will go a long way in showcasing the achievements of BIPOCs while cementing their place in world history.
“History has many gaps that have left members of our society excluded. It is this gap that artists and Wikimedia Foundation are trying to fill. In the light of this, I find the efforts of Wikimedia Foundation geared towards the expansion of the visual representation of BIPOCs in Wikimedia projects commendable. ”
Commenting further, he called on fellow artists and visual illustrators to leverage the opportunities presented by Wiki Unseen to contribute their quota to the preservation of the history of BIPOCs.
“Wiki Unseen opens an avenue for other Ghanaian artists who want to contribute through volunteering to the documentation of world history to do so in an open way. As one of the most visited websites in the world, Wikipedia is one of the best places you want to see your work, thus giving artists the opportunity to show their work to audiences around the globe,” he advised.
Concluding, Mr. Bosokah expressed profound gratitude to the Wikimedia Foundation for the opportunity to be part of Wiki Unseen citing his desire to bring justice to underrepresented persons in the global knowledge ecosystem as a driving force.
Launched earlier this month, Wiki Unseen is hoped to increase awareness of the bias and visual knowledge gaps in the histories of BIPOCs and the need to fill these gaps on Wikimedia projects.
