1-Page Work
Oliver Kelly
Dair Arnold
ENG 1201.R07
21 September 2020
Rough Draft
The article “The Wikipedia War Over Kamala Harris’s Race” by Joshua Benton, August 13th, 2020, discusses the discourse on Kamala Harris’s Wikipedia page. The essay goes over the discussion that happens after Kamala Harris is announces as nominee Joe Biden’s choice for vice president. With Harris being put in the spotlight groups of people gather on her Wikipedia page to argue over her race. To show this, the author uses examples from the Wikipedia page. Benton uses this article to tell us the story of Kamala Harris’s Wikipedia page.
Joshua Benton uses his writing to debate the credibility and usefulness of Wikipedia. He mentions the user Zvikorn, who states “The main reason I edit Wikipedia is a strong belief that every person on the planet has the right to access the accumulated knowledge of humanity”. This user helps build a case for Wikipedia, that it is a common platform for accessible knowledge. Though, it is a common platform for editing knowledge as well.
When Kamala Harris was placed in the spotlight, people began to head to her Wikipedia page. First, announcing her status as Joe Biden’s choice for vice president, then editing her name to incorporate a sexist slur, then to debate her blackness. The author uses the article to contradict the validity of Wikipedia. He does this by showing the many ridiculous comments made about Kamala Harris. His deep description of the story caters to his ethos because it is clear he knows and followed the topic.
What Benton does a good job of proving in his credibility, he lacks in appealing to pathos and logos. There is some description on the logistics of Kamala Harris’s race, stating where her parents are from, but it does not discuss what logically validates someone’s blackness. The article does not discuss the emotional impact the discourse could have to Harris, but rather continues with more comments from the page. While I would consider this a weakness of the article, I can also see how the author may be appealing to his audience. The author knows who reads The Atlantic as well as knows the content the readers look for. Based on my own research of the website, the site appeals to people who enjoy food for thought. While the author doesn’t specifically detail the logistics or emotions of the story, he does give the audience enough room to come to their own conclusions.
“The Wikipedia War Over Kamala Harris’s Race” by Joshua Benton does a good job of telling the story of the drama regarding Kamala Harris. The author proves his credibility with the deep involvement and investigation of the story. Although, the author fails to add a sufficient amount of logos and/or pathos in his argument against Wikipedia.