Angela Davis is a revolutionary activist, scholar, and author known for her work in civil rights, Black liberation, prison abolition, and feminism.
Early Life & Education
- Born on January 26, 1944, in Birmingham, Alabama, she grew up in a neighborhood nicknamed “Dynamite Hill” due to frequent Ku Klux Klan bombings.
- She studied philosophy under Herbert Marcuse, a Marxist scholar, at Brandeis University and later continued her education in Germany and at the University of California, San Diego.
Activism & Black Panther Party
- She became involved in the Civil Rights Movement, Black Panther Party, and Communist Party USA during the 1960s.
- She focused on issues of racism, prison abolition, and workers’ rights.
Arrest & Trial (1970-1972)
- In 1970, she was falsely accused of involvement in an attempted prison break led by Jonathan Jackson at the Marin County Courthouse.
- She was placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted List, captured, and spent 18 months in jail before being acquitted in 1972.
- The “Free Angela” movement became a global rallying cry for justice.
Scholarship & Legacy
- She has written several influential books, including:
- Women, Race & Class (1981) – Examining the intersections of race, gender, and class in oppression.
- Are Prisons Obsolete? (2003) – Advocating for prison abolition and criminal justice reform.
- Freedom Is a Constant Struggle (2015) – Connecting Black liberation to global struggles.
- She has been a professor and public speaker, advocating for abolition democracy and socialist principles.
Present-Day Influence
- Angela Davis remains an influential figure in Black Lives Matter, feminism, and discussions on mass incarceration.
- She continues to inspire activists fighting for racial justice, workers’ rights, and gender equality worldwide.
