Angela Davis has accomplished many things. She's a writer, an educator, a woman's rights activist and more. But most people know her as is an icon of the Black militancy movement even though Angela wasn't really that much of a militant.I don't think most people really know what Angela is really about. They know of her through iconic photos of her sporting an afro. But they don't really know what Angela did, or in this case didn't do, to become so famous. Here is what happened that led to Angela's iconic status.
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From Wikipedia:
On August 7, 1970, Superior Court Judge Harold Haley was abducted from his Marin County, California, courtroom and murdered during an effort to free a convict.
The firearms used in the attack were purchased in Davis's name, including the shotgun used to kill Haley, which had been purchased only two days prior and sawed-off. The California warrant issued for Davis charged her as an accomplice to conspiracy, kidnapping, and homicide. On August 18, 1970, Davis became the third woman and the 309th person to appear on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List.
Davis fled California and evaded the police for more than two months before being captured in New York City. While being held in the Women's Detention Center in New York City, she was initially segregated from the general population, but with the help of her legal team soon obtained a Federal court order to get out of the segregated area.
In 1972, a jury returned a verdict of not guilty. The mere fact that she owned the guns used in the crime was not sufficient to establish her responsibility for the plot.
After her release, Davis moved to Cuba for a time, following fellow radicals Huey Newton and Stokely Carmichael. Her reception by Cubans at a mass rally was so enthusiastic that she was reportedly barely able to speak
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So that's the story. After all of this Angela has gone on to have a mostly quiet life. She taught and retired from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She has written books, is a sought after public speaker, activist and she's a socialist. She has also advocated for prisoners rights. But a militant, nope not really.
I think one of the most interesting things is that so many people think that Angela was a member of the Black Panther Party. In truth she was not although she associated with people who were members of the Party.
On a related note, it's been reported that a biopic is in the works about Angela Davis and that Beyoncé is interested in playing the role of Angela. As much as I'd love to see a film about Angela's life I'd rather they didn't make the film if Beyoncé is part of it.
3 comments:
True, most people who really haven't delved into Black Panther history share the misconception that Angela Davis was a party member. I have to believe this comes from the fact that she appeared too black and too strong.
How do you feel about her being a Socialist?
Also, I read about Beyonce being interested in the portrayal. Should be interesting.
@Don
She believes in democratic socialism which is different from plain socialism. And I think that she has a good argument for it even though most Americans wouldn't agree.
I really can't even imagine how bad it would be if Beyoncé got this role. Lol
Too funny @ Beyonce comment.
I'd never heard of Democratic socialism. Care to explain the fundamentals. Although they oppose each other ... I honestly would be all for socialism just as much as I'd be against socialism.
Meaning: I do, but I also don't believe in the interest of public. I really can't explain it.
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