By Beaudry Rae Allen, Laura Bang, and Deborah Bishov

Illustration of a smiling young Black man with shoulder-length locs with text saying “Walter Wallace Jr.” and “Black Disabled Lives Matter” By Micah Bazant

This week we mourn and once again must grapple with the senseless killing of a black person by the police, this time in Philadelphia. Walter Wallace Jr. was gunned down by Philadelphia Police on the 6100 block of Locust Street, despite the fact that his family had called for an ambulance and begged the police not to shoot, because he was experiencing a mental health crisis. The events unfolding are not a microcosm, but they highlight issues around race, police brutality, and mental health services in our communities.

The use of excessive force by the police, particularly in this geographic location, is sadly not an anomaly and sparks a reminder of the Philadelphia Police Department’s sordid history with the West Philadelphia community. Only a few blocks from the site of Wallace’s murder is the site of the 1985 MOVE bombing in which Philadelphia Police dropped a bomb on a residential home of the black liberation group MOVE. The bombing killed 6 adults and 5 children as well as destroying many homes in the area. If this is your first time reading about the MOVE bombings the library has many resources available to learn more about the events and how Philadelphia has been shaped by the events.

Physical Books Available for Contactless Pickup

• Let it Burn!: The Philadelphia Tragedy: https://library.villanova.edu/Find/Record/185201
• The MOVE Crisis in Philadelphia: Extremist Groups and Conflict Resolution https://library.villanova.edu/Find/Record/387592

Digital Access

• Let the Fire Burn (Video) https://library.villanova.edu/Find/Record/1941681
• MOVE: An American Religion https://library.villanova.edu/Find/Record/2337187

Additional resources for support:

• University Counseling Center (610) 519-4050
• Office of Health Promotion (610) 519-7409
• Campus Ministry (610) 519-4080

Please contact these departments, as they are available for emotional, mental, and spiritual support. Support and services are available to all students, whether on-campus, off-campus, or at home.

Falvey Memorial Library stands united with those who seek social justice and equality and supports those protesting worldwide to dismantle institutionalized racism and white supremacy. Join Villanovans and stand in solidarity for justice for Black lives. Access the virtual Vigil on Friday, Aug. 28, 6-7:30 p.m. via the live stream landing page: mission.villanova.edu.

“As Villanovans, let us: stand in solidarity for justice for Black lives, lament over those killed unjustly, amplify Black voices, and activate a path toward transformation and justice on campus and in our communities.”

By Beaudry Allen, Laura Bang, Deborah Bishov, Sarah Wingo, and Kallie Stahl

June 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Pride march in New York City held June 28, 1970 on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Pride Month is celebrated every June in tribute to those involved in the Stonewall Riots of 1969, an uprising that occurred in response to a long history of police brutality. On the night of June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village, which resulted in bar patrons, staff, and neighborhood residents rioting onto Christopher Street outside. (Note: a post on the Stonewall riots is forthcoming on the blog June 29).

Pride 2020 was already going to be different this year, with COVID-19 making large public gatherings, such as parades and other celebrations typically held for Pride, impractical and leading organizers to pivot to virtual events. Furthermore, in keeping with the roots of the LGBTQ+ movement, the community has mobilized to shift more of the focus of this year’s Pride to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement as protests are currently taking place all over the world. These current events intensify the importance of recognizing how nuanced and interconnected all forms of identity and politics are, and we hope this LGBTQ+ resource list provides more information.

At Falvey Memorial Library we believe that learning is a lifelong process that is essential for education and personal growth. We support and encourage exploration through respectful discourse and hope that our collections can contribute to this conversation. If you are looking for a specific work or for literature on a specific topic, please feel free to get in touch with our librarians at ref@villanova.edu.

Explore LGBTQ+ resources on Falvey’s Diversity and Inclusion subject guide—below is just a snapshot of the many resources available. Share your own content to the page using the Resource Submission Form.

LGBTQ+ Databases:

• The National Archives: Gay and Lesbian History—”This guide will help you find records relating to sexuality and gender identity history.”
• LGBT Thought and Culture—”An online resource hosting books, periodicals, and archival materials documenting LGBT political, social, and cultural movements throughout the twentieth century and into the present day.”
• LGBT Magazine Archive—”A searchable archive of major periodicals devoted to LGBT+ interests, dating from the 1950s through to recent years.”

LGBTQ+ Books and eBooks:

• LGBTQ America: A Theme Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer History by Beth Pruitt (e-book).
• LGBT Psychology and Mental Health: Emerging Research and Advances by Richard Ruth and Erik Santacruz (e-book).
• Nonbinary Gender Identities: History, Culture, Resources by Charlie McNabb (e-book).

LGBTQ+ Content Curated by the Villanova Community:

• Trans Student Educational Resources—”A youth-led organization dedicated to transforming the educational environment for trans and gender nonconforming students through advocacy and empowerment.”
• GLMA Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality—”A national organization committed to ensuring health equity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) and all sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals, and equality for LGBTQ/SGM health professionals in their work and learning environments.”
• The Attic—”The Attic Youth Center creates opportunities for LGBTQ youth to develop into healthy, independent, civic-minded adults within a safe and supportive community, and promotes the acceptance of LGBTQ youth in society.”

LGBTQ+ Resources Recommended by Falvey Subject Librarians and Staff:

• Pride with Arlan Hamilton, Alicia Garza, John deBary, Nico Tortorella, R. Eric Thomas, and Jesse Szewczyk (Zoom event: Tues., June 16, 8 p.m.).
• ‘I have to go off’: activist Sylvia Rivera on choosing to riot at Stonewall (1989 interview with journalist Eric Marcus).
• Marsha P. Johnson, a transgender pioneer and activist (obituary in The New York Times).
• The Free Library of Philadelphia (LGBTQ+ resources and programming).
• The William Way LGBT Community Center—”Encourages, supports and advocates for the well-being and acceptance of sexual and gender minorities in the Greater Philadelphia region through service, recreational, educational and cultural programming.”

Additional LGBTQ+ resources will be featured all month long. Check back weekly for news and updates. Be sure to follow VU Pride for more information on programs and campus initiatives to help create a welcoming community at Villanova University for all students, staff, and faculty.

James Ijames portrait by Lowell Thomas.

Until June 21, The Wilma Theater is releasing an archival recording of their 2018 production of Villanova University Theatre Professor James Ijames‘ play “Kill Move Paradise” as a fundraiser to support Black Lives Matter Philadelphia.

“Kill Move Paradise,” a New York Times Critics Pick and winner of the the 2018 Kesselring Prize “tells the story of Isa, Daz, Grif and Tiny, four black men who find themselves stuck in a cosmic waiting room in the afterlife. This play, inspired by the ever growing list of slain unarmed black men and women, depicts these men as symbols of life and hope.”

All proceeds will benefit BLM Philly. Explore Ijames’ work and accolades here. Ijames received a B.A. in Drama from Morehouse College and a M.F.A. in Acting from Temple University.

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Memorial Library.