The The contribution of Dorothy Porter Wesley to the organization of knowledge on the african diaspora in the face of racial bias

Abstract

This study analyzes power relations within Knowledge Organization (KO), highlighting how traditional systems reproduce Eurocentric epistemologies and marginalize Black knowledge. The objective is to examine the classificatory principles developed by Dorothy Porter Wesley and her contribution to the representation of Black intellectual production as a counter-hegemonic practice. The theoretical framework is grounded in discussions on the coloniality of knowledge, informational justice, and critiques of racial bias in classification systems. Methodologically, the study is characterized as basic and qualitative research, adopting a convenience-based approach and employing bibliographic research procedures combined with thematic analysis. Partial results indicate that Dorothy Porter Wesley’s classification functioned as a counter-hegemonic practice by breaking with the logic of the Dewey Decimal Classification, which rendered Afro-diasporic themes invisible. Wesley developed an independent classificatory structure that challenged Eurocentric hegemony through the creation of specific categories and the expansion of controlled vocabulary, thereby legitimizing the intellectual production of the African diaspora. The final considerations highlight that confronting racial bias in Knowledge Organization transcends technical issues, requiring an ethical and political stance from information professionals. It is concluded that Dorothy Porter Wesley’s classificatory methodology constitutes a key reference for counter-hegemonic practices aimed at the decolonization of knowledge and the promotion of epistemic justice in informational environments.