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Scholarship@Villanova Event Featuring Olukunle P. Owolabi, PhD

Olukunle P. Owolabi, PhD, headshot.


Please join us on Tuesday, September 26 from 5-6:30 p.m. in Villanova University’s Falvey Library for a Scholarship@Villanova event featuring Olukunle P. Owolabi, PhD, Associate Professor of Political Science and Global Interdisciplinary Studies and Director of Africana Studies. The event will celebrate Dr. Owolabi’s recently published book, Ruling Emancipated Slaves and Indigenous Subjects: The Divergent Legacies of Forced Settlement and Colonial Occupation in the Global South and will be held in the Library’s Speakers’ Corner space on the first floor. In person attendance is encouraged; however, attendees can also view the event via livestream here.

In his book, Dr. Owolabi examines why forced settlement colonies, where European colonists established agricultural plantations with imported and enslaved African labor, tend to outperform continental African states on key indicators of educational attainment, human well-being, and postcolonial democratization.  His argument highlights the impact of legal-administrative reforms that expanded the legal rights and political agency of emancipated Afro-descendants in forced settlement colonies, in contrast to the ‘native legal codes’ that restricted the legal rights and political agency of indigenous black populations that were colonized after the abolition of slavery in the New World.

This ACS-approved event, co-sponsored by Falvey Library, Department of Political Science, Department of Global Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Albert Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest, is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. Following the talk there will be a book sale and signing.

See our interview with Dr. Owolabi, below, to learn more about his book and which topics he will delve deeper into during the event.


Describe your book, Ruling Emancipated Slaves and Indigenous Subjects: The Divergent Legacies of Forced Settlement and Colonial Occupation in the Global South.

Ruling Emancipated Slaves and Indigenous Subjects examines the varied developmental legacies of European colonization for enslaved Africans and their descendants in the New World, and for indigenous black populations in continental Africa. Specifically, the book seeks to explain a historical paradox: i.e. why forced settlement colonies, where European colonists established large-scale agricultural plantations with enslaved and imported African labor, tend to outperform areas of the world where Europeans exploited the land, labor, and resources of indigenous non-white populations on key indicators of human well-being and postcolonial democratization. This book explains this paradox by contrasting the harsh, arbitrary, and often despotic legal codes that Europeans used to control indigenous colonial subjects with the liberal reforms that expanded the legal rights and political agency of emancipated Afro-descendants following the abolition of slavery in the New World. Spanning three centuries of colonial history and postcolonial development, this is the first book to systematically examine the distinctive patterns of state-building that resulted from forced settlement and colonial occupation in the Black Atlantic world.

What inspired you to write Ruling Emancipated Slaves and Indigenous Subjects?

I was inspired to write this book because I needed to make sense of childhood memories and experiences in different parts of the world that have been impacted by British colonization. My parents immigrated to Canada from Nigeria and Trinidad during the 1960s, and my early childhood education, socialization, and political awareness were profoundly impacted by each of these environments.  When I was four years old, my family moved from Canada to Nigeria, when my Nigerian father, a Canadian-trained medical doctor, returned to his home country to establish a hospital with one of his childhood friends. My first political memories included the forced deportation of foreign migrant workers from Nigeria in 1983 and 1985, and the two military coups that took place on New Years Eve 1983 and August 27, 1985. I have very different (and far less traumatic) political memories from my mother’s home country, Trinidad & Tobago, where we spent several summers during my childhood and adolescence. It was very clear to me, even as a young child, that Trinidad was more politically stable than Nigeria. Moreover, Trinidad’s living standards were much higher than Nigeria’s, its population was better educated, and its infrastructure was more effective: everything from water provision, to electricity, to the school and road networks seemed more effective in Trinidad relative to Nigeria. My childhood observations, and the very different lived experiences of my extended family in Nigeria and Trinidad & Tobago did not fit very well with the leading theories of development are typically emphasized by economists and social scientists. Consequently, I needed to write a book that explained why forced settlement colonies like Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, and Jamaica, have been able to escape the more extreme developmental and political challenges that have plagued postcolonial African states like Angola, Nigeria, or Uganda.

What is the most surprising thing you learned in the writing/research process?

Some of what I learned from writing this book was very surprising, but what was most impactful were the things that helped me to make sense of my childhood experiences, and the ways in which British colonialism had impacted the lives, education, upbringing and social values of my parents and grandparents. The most impactful thing that I learned from researching/writing this book is that European colonization generated very different patterns of state-building for forced settlement colonies vs. colonies of occupation. I was also surprised to learn the extent to which the trans-Atlantic slave trade contributed to the rise of capitalism in the Atlantic world, and the extent to which the abolition of slavery is connected to the expansion of democracy and citizenship rights in Western European countries like Britain and France. In researching this book, I came to understand that history is typically taught in ways that separate the political achievements of Western European countries from the brutality of their colonial past.  Lastly, I was surprised to learn about the extensive role of Christian missionaries and church leaders, both black and white, in advancing anti-slavery activism, empowering freed slaves, and establishing denominational schools that educated “Liberated Africans” and emancipated Afro-descendants in the New World. This helped me to make sense of the surprisingly positive regard in which Christian churches, schools and institutions are held (by Christians and non-Christians alike), in many postcolonial African and Caribbean societies.

Why do you think it’s important for people to read this book?

It’s important for people to read this book because most countries in the world have been impacted by European colonialism in some way or another. At the same time, Western/European history is frequently taught in ways that disassociate the rise of Western powers like Britian, France, and the United States from their imperialistic exploitation of Global South populations. Consequently, one of the goals of this book is to re-establish the historical connections between colonial exploitation and the geo-political ascendancy of Western European countries like Britain and France.

The second main goal of this book is to emphasize the very uneven developmental legacies of colonialism in different parts of the world, and within individual countries. For example, British colonization in the United States had very different consequences for white colonial settlers, “Native Americans” and enslaved Africans and their descendants. The same is true in other parts of the world, where colonial states and institutions benefited white colonial settlers and their descendants at the expense of non-white populations. Colonial state policies also tended to benefit non-indigenous laborers (including emancipated Afro-descendants and the descendants of Chinese and Indian indentured laborers) relative to indigenous non-white populations. The first consequence of colonialism is well-known, but the second one is less strongly emphasized in existing literature. Consequently, this book helps to shed light on the varied developmental legacies of colonial state-building across the Black Atlantic world.

Do you recommend any other books/articles for further exploration on topics highlighted in your book?

Fortunately, we are living in a historical moment in which many scholars, from diverse intellectual and ethnic backgrounds, are reconsidering the long-term developmental legacies of colonialism in the Global South. Consequently, there are many excellent books that address the long-term developmental consequences of colonialism, slavery, and abolition in the Black Atlantic world. These books include Kris Manjapra (2019), Colonialism in Global Perspective; Kris Manjapra (2022), Black Ghost of Empire; and Padraic X. Scanlan (2022), Slave Empire: How Slavery Built Modern Britain.  Other books examine the developmental legacies of British and US imperialism, and the surprisingly varied developmental legacies of British and Spanish colonialism in different parts of the world. These include Matthew Lange (2009), Lineages of Despotism and Development: British Colonialism and State Power; and James Mahoney (2010), Colonialism and Postcolonial Development: Spanish America in Comparative Perspective; and Atul Kohli (2019), Imperialism and the Developing World: How Britain and the United States Shaped the Global Periphery.  What I like about these books is that they successfully explain the variety of developmental trajectories experienced by different postcolonial states, rather than ‘moralizing’ about colonialism, or painting the diverse colonial experiences of different countries with a single, broad brush.

Is there anything else you want readers/audiences to know about your work?

This was a challenging book for me to research and write for both personal and professional reasons.  The subject matter of this book affected me deeply, and it was often emotionally difficult for me to process the variety of ways that Global South populations have been exploited by European colonization and neo-colonial exploitation.  Nevertheless, I hope my book is enlightening to readers with a family connections to the Black Atlantic world, and I hope it opens up new conversations and debates about long-term consequences of colonialism, slavery, and abolition.


 

 

Kallie Stahl is a Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Library.

 

 


 


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Master the Art and Business of Web Comics with Professional Cartoonist Brad Guigar

Event poster for Brad Guigar's talk.


Attention all graphic novel and comic book fans! You are cordially invited to join us for our inaugural event celebrating comics, graphic novels, and sequential art on Wednesday, Sept. 27, from 6-7 p.m. at Villanova University’s Falvey Library. The event will feature professional cartoonist Brad Guigar and will be held in Speakers’ Corner on the Library’s first floor.

In 2000, webcomics grew out of dissatisfaction with gatekeepers (publishers and syndicates) and led to a new generation of creator-entrepreneurs who taught themselves about art AND business — and are currently finding a financially stable career in a climate in which “published” artists are struggling. What used to be known as “vanity press” is now offering a superior outcome for many creative professionals. Furthermore, it opened the door for marginalized voices that had previously been ignored by corporate gatekeepers.

Brad Guigar is considered by many to be an independent comics pioneer, having published his daily comic strips and other comics on the Web for over 20 years. His most well-known comic, “Evil Inc.,” is about supervillains who realized that most of their evil schemes could be enacted legally if they formed a corporation.

He has published over two dozen collections of his comics, and he is the author of three books on the subject of cartooning. The Everything Cartooning Book is an all-ages cartooning tutorial. Both How To Make Webcomics and The Webcomics Handbook break down the business of self-publishing comics using social media and crowdfunding strategies.

Guigar has been nominated for the Eisner Award in comics, as well as the ’Ringo Award and the NCS Silver Rueben. He co-hosts a weekly podcast, ComicLab, which has been described as “Car Talk for cartoons,” which will be entering its seventh year in January. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and two sons.

This event, co-sponsored by Falvey Library, the Idea Lab, Department of English, Creative Writing Program, Department of Communication, and the Writing Center, is free and open to all! Light refreshments will be served. Join us!


 


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Dig Deeper: Three Irish Poets on Sustainability


Please join us for readings from three acclaimed Irish poets, Jane Clarke, Katie Donovan, and Catherine Phil MacCarthy on Monday, Sept. 25, from 5-6:30 p.m. in Falvey Library’s Speakers’ Corner. This event, titled “Wonders and Realities: Three Irish Poets on Sustainability,” will explore how poetry helps us fine-tune our senses and pay attention to the wonders and realities of our threatened world.

Dig deeper and explore the links below for more information on the featured poets.

Jane Clarke grew up in County Roscommon, Ireland. She is the author of three poetry collections: The River, When the Tree Falls, and A Change in the Air. The latter is shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Collection 2023. When the Tree Falls was shortlisted for the Pigott Prize 2020, the Irish Times Poetry Now Award 2020, and the Farmgate Café National Poetry Award in 2020.

Katie Donovan was born near Camolin in County Wexford, Ireland and earned degrees from Trinity College Dublin as well as the University of California at Berkeley. Her five books of poetry have all been published by Bloodaxe Books. Her most recent, Off-Duty appeared in September 2016. It was shortlisted for the Irish Times/Poetry Now Prize in 2017. She is the 2017 recipient of the O’Shaughnessy Award for Irish Poetry.

Catherine Phil MacCarthy was born in County Limerick, Ireland. The author of five poetry collections, she studied at University College Cork, Trinity College Dublin, and Central School of Speech and Drama, London. She is the 2014 winner of the O’Shaughnessy Award for Irish Poetry. The Arts Council, An Comhairle Ealaíon, have awarded her a Bursary in Literature towards each of her 2013 and 2020 poetry collections.

This ACS-approved event, co-sponsored by the Center for Irish Studies, Falvey Library, and Global Interdisciplinary Studies, is free and open to the public.


Julia Wagner ‘26 CLAS is a Communication major from New Hampshire (Go Patriots!). She works as a Communication & Marketing Student Assistant at Falvey Library. Links provided by Kallie Stahl, Communication & Marketing Specialist at Falvey Library. 

 

 

 


 


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Join Us For Mindfulness Meditation During the Fall Semester


We invite the Villanova Community to join us for a taste of mindfulness meditation on Mondays from 1-1:30 pm during the fall semester. Mindfulness Mondays will offer a comfortable space, both in person and virtually, where you are guided and encouraged to stop and focus on the “here and now.” Mindfulness is proven to reduce stress and enhance well-being, which can be beneficial to all faculty, staff, and students.

Sessions will take place each week in person and via Zoom. Please follow this link to join: https://villanova.zoom.us/j/99049034689.

Sessions will take place on most Mondays from August 28 and through December 18. *Please note: there will not be sessions on September 4 (Labor Day) and October 9 (Fall Break). A full list of dates is available here.

Mindfulness Mondays are ACS-approved and presented by Campus Ministry and co-sponsored by Falvey Library. Registration is not required. All are welcome at these events!


 


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Curious Cat: National Library Week

By Anna Jankowski, Ethan Shea, and Annie Stockmal

"Curious Cat Banner"

Happy Thursday, Wildcats! This installment of the Curious Cat is especially important because it’s National Library Week! To celebrate the occasion, we asked some Falvey patrons why they love the Library. Keep reading to see the responses we received, and be sure to watch the accompanying Reel on Instagram!

"Curious Cat 4/26 (1)"

“I love old book stacks. I just love walking into random parts of the Library and sifting through old books that smell old. It’s really weird, but there’s so many little things you can find that are so interesting.”

— Satrant Bains ’25

“I’d say overall it’s just the atmosphere. I usually like to come and just sit and do some work.”

— Aliana Rojas ’25

"Curious Cat 4/26 (2)"

“My favorite part of the Library is the Reading Room. I just really like how it’s always bright in there, and I work best in the quiet.”

— Maddie McClay ’23

“I like Holy Grounds because I feel like I need a little stimulation when I’m doing my work.”

— Ashley Mulhare ’23

"Curious Cat 4/26 (3)"

“I like coming and people watching and doing work.”

— Christian Badalamenti ’24

“I’d say my favorite part is this room in particular [Falvey 205].”

— Mac Clark ’24

“My favorite part of the Library is the Reading Room with all of its windows. Sometimes I can watch the sunset there.”

— Julia Barclay ’25

“I agree with the Reading Room, and to elaborate on that, I like the peace and quiet.”

— Peter McSherey ’25


Anna Jankowski ’23 CLAS is a Senior Communication Major from just outside Baltimore who ​​works as a Communication & Marketing Assistant in Falvey.

 

 

 

 

Headshot of Ethan SheaEthan Shea is a second-year graduate student in the English Department and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.

 

 

 

 

Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and Graduate Assistant in Falvey Library. 


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Peek at the Week: September 19

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

In The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “There is nothing like looking if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”

We’re all here at Villanova to obtain some type of deeper knowledge or experience, in most cases a degree, but sometimes what you find in college is much more than a (still important) framed diploma or a resume-booster. You find friends, you find hobbies, you even find yourself.

This week, give yourself some time to go out and find something, something that makes you happy, something that makes you mindful, even something you hate. You never know what you might find if you look.


THIS WEEK AT FALVEY

Monday, September 19

Mindfulness Monday | 1-1:30 p.m. | Virtual | Free & Open to Villanova Students, Faculty, and Staff

The Learners’ Studio/Center for Speaking and Presentation | 4-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free

Wednesday, September 21

Fall 2022 Falvey Forum Workshop: Using Zotero Citation Manager | 12-1 p.m. | Virtual | Free & Open to the Villanova Community | Register Here

The Learners’ Studio/Center for Speaking and Presentation | 4-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free

Thursday, September 22

The Learners’ Studio/Center for Speaking and Presentation | 4-9 p.m. | Room 301 | Free

Friday, September 23

Villanova Gaming Society Meeting | 2:30-4:30 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public


HOLIDAYS THIS WEEK

As many of you may already know, tomorrow is 1842 Day, our very own Villanova holiday of gratitude and giving. You can celebrate by showing your support and making a donation to a campus resource that you feel passionate about or has impacted your ‘Nova experience for the better. To return some of the gratitude, five lucky people who give a gift to the library will receive some Falvey swag.

Tomorrow is National Voter Registration Day. Celebrate, if you haven’t already, by registering to vote (and check out this blog if you want some helpful links and information about the Pennsylvania midterm elections).

Thursday, Sept. 22, is Hobbit Day. If you’re a fellow LOTR fan and feeling festive, celebrate by reading any part of the classic series, watching the movie adaptations, or by eating “second breakfast” and “elevensies,” as Tolkien’s Bilbo Baggins would have wanted. I know I’ll be rewatching The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. How could you go wrong with Christopher Lee, Treebeard, and the Battle of Helm’s Deep?

Friday is Celebrate Bisexuality Day. Did you know that according to research from Gates in 2011, bisexuals make up more than half of all LGB individuals? That’s a significant portion of the LGBTQ+ community that identifies with bisexuality. You can celebrate by showing your own bi pride, engaging with a bisexual artist or performer (with options like David Bowie, Alan Cummings, Megan Fox, and Amy Winehouse, the options are endless), or by learning more about the community.

 

 


Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and graduate assistant in Falvey Library.

 

 


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Announcing Mindfulness Mondays

Mindfulness Mondays poster

The Villanova community is cordially invited to join us for a taste of mindfulness meditation on Mondays from 1-1:30 p.m. this fall. This virtual series began with the first meditation on Monday, Aug. 29, and will run on Monday afternoons throughout the semester until the last session on Monday, Dec. 19.

Mindfulness Mondays will offer a comfortable space where you are guided and encouraged to stop and focus on the “here and now.” Mindfulness is proven to reduce stress and enhance well being, which can be beneficial to all faculty, staff, and students.

Sessions will take place each week via Zoom. Please follow this link to join each week: https://villanova.zoom.us/j/99049034689

Mindfulness Mondays are presented by Campus Ministry and co-sponsored by Falvey Memorial Library. Registration is not required. All are welcome to attend these ACS-approved events! Please join us!


Dig Deeper
To learn more about the practice and benefits of mindfulness meditation, we invite you to read some of the following e-books which are part of Falvey Library’s collection:

These e-books are available to any student, faculty, or staff with a valid Villanova email address.

Please also check out these helpful resources being offered by Campus Ministry:

For FREE guided meditations, please see UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center website.


headshot picture of regina duffy

 

Regina Duffy is a Communication and Marketing Program Manager at Falvey Memorial Library.

 


 


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Peek at the Week: August 29

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

In Verse 64 of Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu said, “A journey of  a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Welcome and welcome back, Wildcats! A new year at Villanova brings new beginnings, whether it’s your first year or your last. As you embark on your 2022-2023 journey, remember that all of your fellow Wildcats are taking the step with you. Happy fall semester!


THIS WEEK AT FALVEY

Monday, August 29

Mindfulness Mondays | 1-1:30 p.m. | Virtual | Free & Open to all Villanova Students, Faculty, and Staff

Check back next week for more awesome Falvey Library events and exhibits!


HOLIDAYS THIS WEEK

Celebrate We Love Memoirs Day on Wednesday, August 31, by reading or listening to one of your favorite memoirs. If you need a bit of humor in your day, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel provides some genuine laughs and things to reflect on (and, bonus, as a graphic novel, it’s a pretty quick read).

September 2 is College Colors Day. So, if you’re stuck picking out an outfit for Friday, throw on some blue and white to show your ‘Nova pride.

 

 

 

 

 


Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and graduate assistant in Falvey Library.


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Photo Friday: Happy National Dog Day

 

Pals for Life Pet Therapy event from 2019.

Happy National Dog Day! If you are an incoming student, perhaps you haven’t experienced our pet therapy sessions, courtesy of Pals for Life, which happen each semester in the Library.

You don’t need a scientific study to tell you that petting dogs lower stress and blood pressure. Well, if you do, here’s that. And we just think having a day to boop a dog’s nose, rub a puppy’s belly, or just spend some time with an amazing canine, is the perfect thing to get you mentally prepared for a test or finals. Look for news of upcoming events like this on the Library home page or right here on the blog!

If you can’t wait for canine cuddles, the Office of Health Promotion offers “Where is the Love” pet therapy most Wednesdays during the semester, too!

 

 

 

 

 


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Peek at the Week: April 25

By Jenna Renaud

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Word of the Week: Nudiustertian  

(adj) of or relating to the day before yesterday 

Maybe you’re thinking to yourself “Why wouldn’t I just say the day before yesterday or the name of the day?” And that’s a valid point. But if you want to impress your friends and family with your extensive vocabulary, throw nudiustertian into conversation.  

For example, “I really should have done more studying nudiustertian morning for my upcoming finals.”  


This Week at Falvey  

NOW–Wednesday, June 15 

“That Fairyland of Ice”: Polar Exploration in Mind and Memory Exhibit | Falvey First Floor & Virtual | Free & Open to the Public 

Monday, April 25 

Russia’s War on Ukraine: Historical Turning Points | 6–7 p.m. | Virtual | Register Here 

Wednesday, April 27   

2022 Falvey Forum Workshop Series: Bringing Historical Maps into GIS | 12–1 p.m. | Virtual | Register Here 

Thursday, April 28

Alfred F. Mannella and Rose T. Lauria-Mannella Endowed Distinguished Speak Series Lecture Featuring Poet Maria Famà | 2:30–3:45 p.m. | Register Here 

Friday, April 29

Falvey Library’s Semi-Annual Stress Busting Open House: Make Finals a Grand Slam | 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | Free & Open to all Villanova Students 


This Week in History 

April 29th, 2004– World War II monument opens in Washington D.C. 

18 years ago today the World War II monument opened in Washington D.C. providing recognition of the 16 million U.S. men and women who served in the war.  

The monument was formally dedicated by US President George W. Bush, although the memorial was inspired decades earlier by veteran Roger Durbin. Durbin served under Gen. George S. Patton and in February 1987 he asked US Rep Marcy Kaptur why there was no memorial on the National Mall to honor World War II veterans. Kaptur then introduced legislation to build one, initiating the 17-year journey until it opened.  

The World War II monument is my favorite memorial in Washington D.C. In high school, I spent part of one summer exploring Washington D.C. and taking a writing seminar. As part of the seminar, we had to choose a monument to visit, reflect on, and then write about. I have always taken an interest in World War II, in part due to my Jewish heritage and the atrocities my Great Aunt lived through as a young girl in Romania during the Holocaust. When it came time to choose a monument, I was immediately drawn to the World War II monument.  

What has always struck me about the World War II monument is all the symbolism and how each detail and piece represented something about the war and the many lives lost. From representing the war in Europe to the war in the Pacific to the hundreds of thousands of American lives lost, the monument produces a sobering effect. Read this article from the National Park Service talking about the various aspects of the monument to learn more. 

Read more about the monument’s opening from History.com. 


Jenna Renaud is a graduate assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a graduate student in the Communication Department.


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Last Modified: April 25, 2022

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