Obituaries in the New York Times since its first issue in 1851 have been populated almost exclusively by white men. Even looking at just the last two years, only 20% have been about women.
There is, finally, an effort underway to change this, in a project entitled “Overlooked.”
Though the first iteration includes only fifteen women, they promise to add to this collection each week, making Overlooked a regular feature in the obituaries section, and “expanding [their] lens beyond women.”
The Furman Libraries offer access to current New York Times issues through FACTIVA and issues all the way back to the paper’s origin in 1851 through PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS
How an Obits Project on Overlooked Women Was Born
From the Death Desk: Why Most Obituaries Are Still of White Men