Angela Davis, born in Birmingham, Alabama, grew up in a middle-class neighborhood known as “Dynamite Hill,” where many African American homes were bombed by the Ku Klux Klan.
She earned a scholarship to study French Literature at Brandeis University in Massachusetts and later completed a PhD in philosophy in Germany. When she returned to the United States, she became involved in the civil rights movement, aligning herself with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Black Panther Party. She believed racism and capitalism were dangers to American justice.
In 1969, Angela became a professor of philosophy at the University of California at Los Angeles. Governor Ronald Reagan pressured the school to fire her due to her political connections. Angela fought back. She took her case to court. The Supreme Court of California ruled Angela could not be banned for party affiliation. Several months later, the university found another reason to fire her.
After she was fired, she was actively engaged in the Soledad Brothers Defense Committee, advocating for three Black inmates charged with murder. On August 7, 1970, an armed gunman stormed into the courtroom, taking several people hostage and demanding the release of the accused men. Four individuals, including the judge, lost their lives. A investigation revealed that the firearm used by the gunman had been purchased by Angela Davis from a pawn shop just days before the incident.
This led to her being put on the FBI’s “10 Most Wanted” list and she was arrested in New York City. During her 18-months in jail without bail, Angela experienced firsthand the injustices within the criminal justice system, strengthening her resolve to advocate for prison reform.
On June 4, 1972, she was acquitted of all charges by an all-white jury. Today, Angela Davis continues to be a prominent figure and advocate for the rights of all Americans as the Distinguished Professor Emerita at the University of California at Santa Cruz.
HELLA INSPIRED.
