Angela

To clear up any confusion this is not the real Angela Davis.Biography Angela Davis was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1944 to two college educated parents. Her father briefly taught high school but left and opened a service station. Her childhood was filled with humilation from racial segregation. She was able to go through school quick entering junior year at 14. She applied to early admission programs at Fisk University and American Friends Service Committee but passed both too go to Little Red School House(private owned school favored by radical communitie). At the Little Red School house she began to be exposed to socialism and was recruted to the Young Communist Group. There she met her life long friend Bettina Aptheker. Upon Graduating High School she was awarded a full scholorship to Brandeis University where she was one of 3 Black Freshman. Angela met Herbert Marcus at a rally during the Cuban Missle Crisis and later became his student. She spent a summer in Europe attending the eighth World Festival for Youth and Students in Helsinki where she was impressed by the Cuban Delegation. Nearing completion of her French language degree she took a strong interest in philosophy. Davis began making plans to attend the University of Frankfurt for graduate work in philosophy. In west germany she housed with a sympathetic family as she attended college. Many of her peers were in the German Socialist Student League and Angela Davis participated. Davis was eager to get back though and participate with the Black Panthers. While on her way to California she stopped at London to see a conference headed by Stokey Carmichael and Michael X. Davis was dissapointed with their black nationalism and dismisal of communism. Once in San Diego, she earned a masters degree from the University of California, San Diego returning to Germany for her Ph.D. in Philosophy from the Humboldt University of Berlin. While working at the University of California, Los Angelas she became a feminist, member of the Communist Party USA and associated herself to the Black Panther Party. She was fired in 1969 for being a member of the communist party but was later rehired after a huge backlash against the college. Davis gained much fame from being the third woman to be placed on the FBI's Most Wanted List. She was charged with conspiracy, kidnapping, and homicide becuase of alleged participation in an escape attempt from Marin County Hall of Justice. She evaded the police for 2 months until being captured and put on trial. 18 months later she was aquited of all charges. While in prison Davis got along well with the inmates and helping them initiate a bail program. Davis was segregated from the rest of the prison in horrible conditions but was able to get a court order to stop the practice. Davis continued her activism and has written several books. She is strongly against the Us Prison System and wishes to aboloish it and instead focusing on why so many blacks and hispanics are incarcenated. In 1980 and 1985 she ran as vice president on the Communist Ticket. In 1995 she rallied against the million man march saying that the exclusion of women was because of male chauvinism. She currently works at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Impact Angela Davis was able to elevate herself to a very high political position despite being a double minority(black woman). She was able to apply her communist beleifs to social issues like feminism and prisoner rights. Many young radicals at her for inspiration. Unlike other black communist leaders she was able to put herself to more practical use by running as vice president and becoming a college profesor. Angela also was able to show non traditional beauty by wearing an afro. This is in contrast to eurocentric hairstyles. Also she was able to maintain a life of activism after the 60s movement and focussing on many issues. One of the most encouraging things is that she still has many years left to participate in activism.