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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAngela Davis’s Legacy of Collective Solidarity
Angela Daviss Legacy of Collective Solidarity
The masculinist mode of representing history makes it so that, too often, credit is not given where its due. These wordsamong an impassioned treasure-trove of otherswere delivered by longtime political activist, radical queer feminist, writer and scholar Angela Davis this past Monday night.
On the 43rd anniversary of her release from prison following her acquittal of conspiracy in the 1970 armed take-over of a Marin County courtroom, in which four people died, Davis spoke to a full house of students, faculty and general audience members at USCs Bovard Auditorium.
The event, titled Angela Davis: A Lifetime of Revolution, hosted by USCs Black Student Assembly and the USC Speakers Committee, saw the 71-year-old former Black Panther Party member address issues of pernicious racism in a post-racial world; intimate partner violence; and how diversity is not a synonym for justice.
Diversity is a corporate strategy, cautioned Davis. Its a difference that makes no difference at all.
Never one to shy away from calls to action, the prominent civil rights figure delved into the ways that we must address how Americas long-established history of state violence teaches those most targeted to internalize that aggression. Where do you think people learn that violence is a solution? she asked.
. . . . .
The problem with this country is that we are encouraged to forget our histories, said Davis, speaking of histories often marked by disproportionate violence against women, people of color and other marginalized communities.
Having spent nearly a lifetime discussing her essay, Violence Against Women and the Ongoing Challenge to Racism, Davis continues to call for recognition of the inextricable links between many of the social justice issues that we face today:
There can be no great triumph over racism without addressing capitalism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, the environment that we live in and the food that we consume. We have to recognize all of these connections.
. . . . .
http://msmagazine.com/blog/2015/02/26/angela-daviss-legacy-of-collective-solidarity/
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)It's was written in 1973. It reveals her life on the run, imprisonment & trial, acquittal & early life. I usually read fast, but this book I'm taking my time because it's so fascinating. I'm about a third of the way through.
Thank you for your post niyad!
The documentary Free Angela and all Political Prisoners is an absolute must-see. It has great footage both of that era and more recent interviews. I've watched it twice.
Youtube has a myriad of interviews with her throughout her life.
That Ms. Davis became a leading scholar while remaining involved with down to earth projects is a real testament to her remarkable humanity. Her book on women in jazz, I'd also recommend.
I love all her interviews. She's just so full of thoughtfulness, humor & inspiration to anyone interested in both action & contemplation.
Delving into her life, one sees an engaged compassionate well-rounded person. A deeply rich woman who is always involved with and fully celebrating others. She embodies freedom & joy. It leads to reading & examining other activists, other integral aspects of history, other valuable voices. I think my favorite thing about her is that she brings out the beauty in others.
The movie, produced & directed by Shola Lynch, is available on netflix & amazon. It's riveting. Here's the trailer:
niyad
(113,576 posts)in jazz, an area in which I have a great deal of interest. and the film, as well.
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)The book is called Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday. It's available on amazon. Yeah, you'll love it.
I could talk about her all day because I just truly enjoy everything she writes & all her interviews!
Omaha Steve
(99,727 posts)K&R for the OP.
OS
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)H2O Man
(73,621 posts)I had the opportunity to hang out with Ms. Davis in the early 1990s. Very impressive lady.
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)She's so smart & full of life. Was she teaching at UC Santa Cruz at that time?
H2O Man
(73,621 posts)was teaching in CA, but she was in NYS at that time. She liked to speak at Hartwick College in Oneonta. (I can't remember how many times she had been there at that point. I'm getting old!)
Ms. Davis has long understood the role of Native Americans in the struggle for social justice. It was at the time when I was speaking at the state university in Oneonta (SUCO) on a case of burial protection, that would end up in court. The schools are less than a half-mile from each other. She autographed a nice photo of her and Oren Lyons arriving at Wounded Knee. Ah, time flies.
lovemydog
(11,833 posts)Angela Davis!