MEDIA, PA — Ife Williams, Ph.D., a distinguished Political Science professor at Delaware County Community College, has secured a $150,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The grant will support her ambitious project, “Mapping Resistance of Africans and African Descendants to Colonialism and Segregation, 1945-1990.”
Dr. Williams aims to use the funding to develop curricular materials that explore the resistance movements led by Africans and their descendants against segregation and colonialism during the second half of the 20th century. While the brutality of the transatlantic slave trade is widely acknowledged, less attention is paid to the numerous rebellions staged by those enslaved, a testament to their resilience and determination.
This project follows Dr. Williams’ previous work, funded by a $40,000 grant from the American Council of Learned Societies Mellon Foundation, which charted nearly 400 worldwide slave revolts. The insights from this research have already been integrated into four courses at DCCC.
Dr. Williams’ new venture aims to deepen understanding of these acts of resistance, not just as isolated events, but as part of a broader, global movement. She emphasizes that existing maps and timelines fail to capture the interconnectedness of these struggles or their global scale.
“This Pan-African approach to resistance is novel,” Dr. Williams said. “Through its portrayal of a systematic Pan-African collective, this effort aims to counter the separatist narrative of Africans and African descendants.”
As an accomplished scholar, Dr. Williams has made significant contributions to the field of Political Science. Her book, “Police Brutality: A Philadelphia Story,” was published by Lexington Press in 2023. She earned her doctorate in Political Science and Government from Clark Atlanta University.
Dr. Williams’ groundbreaking project promises to shed new light on the global resistance to colonialism and segregation, providing a richer, more nuanced understanding of these historical events. It is a testament to her commitment to illuminating untold stories and challenging prevailing narratives.
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