Check Mate Alert’s Black History Facts: Angela Davis

With PBS airing their Black Panther documentary, it's only right we share the story of Angela Davis. 

Born January 26, 1944 in Birmingham, Alabama, #AngelaDavis became a master scholar, writer, educator and activist for gender equality, prison reform and alliances across color lines. Both Angela’s parents were educators, her brother, #BenDavis, played for the #ClevelandBrowns and #DetroitLions in the 60’s and 70’s. 

Angela Davis’ activism started as early as college. A student of German-American philosopher, Herbert Marcuse, at University of California, San Diego, Davis participated in a political rally during the Cuban Missile Crisis. She spent the summer in Paris where she met Cuban students at the World Festival of Youth and Students, soon becoming a supporter of Fidel Castro and Cuba. 

Davis earned her PHD in Germany, returning to California in the 60’s to work as a lecturer at UCLA. At that time Angela was a radical feminist,  a member of the Communist Party USA and was also associated with the #BlackPantherParty. In 1969, Governor Ronald Reagan pushed to have Davis fired from her job for her affiliation with the Communist Party USA . She was later rehired. 

In 1970, Angela Davis became the third woman to appear on the FBI's Most Wanted List for supporting the Soledad Brothers, three #AfricanAmerican inmates accused of killing a white guard at Soledad Prison in California. Jonathan Jackson, 17, a younger brother of one of the Soledad inmates attempted to negotiate the freedom of the inmates by arming himself, taking over a court house and taking Judge Harold Haley, the prosecutor, and three female jurors as hostages. In the escape attempt, the inmates, judge and one juror were all killed.  In California, "all persons concerned in the commission of a crime, whether they directly commit the act constituting the offense... principals in any crime so committed.” Angela was accused of supplying the gun that killed four.  She was able to evade police for 2 months before being captured. After 18 months in jail, Davis was tried, and an all-white jury returned a not guilty verdict. 

While jailed, Angela Davis received a lot of celebrity support. In 1972 #JohnLennon and #YokoOno supported her with their song “Angela,” while the #RollingStones recorded their song "Sweet Black Angel” advocating for her release. 

In both 1980 and 1984, Angela Davis ran for Vice President of the United States as a candidate from the Communist Party USA, alongside presidential hopeful Gus Hall. 

Angela Davis is a living legend with a remarkable story.