By Journey Artis
Angela Davis is an African-American philosopher, academic, author, political activist, and so much more! She was influenced by her childhood in segregated Birmingham, Alabama, during the Jim Crow Era. Her political achievements changed numerous African-Americans' lives to walk with many freedoms we previously did not have.
She was aware of racism from a young age due to her neighborhood nicknamed: "Dynamite Hill." A target of many Ku Klux Klan attacks. During her school years, she organized racially mixed study groups that were eventually broken up by the police. After graduating from the University of California, located in San Diego, she joined several activism groups; among these were the Black Panthers and Che-Lumumba Club. A communist, all-black branch. She then taught at the University of California, Los Angeles; however, she soon got fired after the administration found out about her affiliations with the Communist Party. Nevertheless, she fought them in court and got her job back, yet she left at the end of her contract. She has even stated, "We knew that the role of the police was to protect white supremacy." This shows how strong she stood in her beliefs and why she was impactful as she was.
One of many significant incidents in Davis' life was her role in the Soledad Brothers' case. She was a strong supporter of three prison inmates named John W. Clutchette, Fleeta Drumgo, and George Lester Jackson, nicknamed "The Soledad Brothers." This affiliation later got her in some unjust trouble with the law. The Soledad Brothers had been accused of killing a correctional officer. After this incident, however, it had been reported several African American inmates had been killed in a fight with another guard. And many thought that the Soledad Brothers were wrongfully accused. During Jackson's trial in 1970, an escape attempt was made when his brother Johnathan came to the courtroom to claim hostages to exchange for his brother's freedom. During this attempt, Johnathan Jackson, Superior Court Judge Harold Haley, and two inmates were killed as a result of the shootout. Davis was brought up on several charges, which included murder for her alleged part in the event. She was on the FBI's Most Wanted List after going into hiding. Caught two months later, with two main pieces of evidence used at her trial, alleging she was in love with Jackson and the guns used in the shootout were registered in her name. She spent eighteen months in jail. However, her case was acquitted in June of 1972, likely due to the attention she received from the international press.
Davis has made numerous speeches and has endorsed many political figures, including Barack Obama. She has opposed the United States Prison System. She has often referred to it as a new form of slavery due to the number of African Americans incarcerated and disproportionated to other races. She has expressed her opposition to racism, sexism, and various forms of discrimination. She has won numerous awards for her contribution to ending discrimination, primarily what affects the African American community. She has made her contribution through books, movies, speeches, lectures, and many other communication forms. Today, Angela Davis is now seventy- six years old and is currently a professor at The University of California Santa Cruz. Angela Davis is celebrated and honored as a pivotal figure during the Civil Rights era and will forever be remembered as a warrior for change and social justice!
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Davis
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/angela-davis
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