Angela Davis

Angela Davis was born on 26 January 1944 in Birmingham, Alabama to Frank Davis and Sallye Davis. She belonged to a well to do black family. Her father owned a service station and her mother was a elementary school teacher.

She has two brothers and a sister and she graduated from the Parker High School in Birmingham, Alabama. Her mother was into politics when she was growing up, so she was always surrounded by thinkers and activists.

In 1959, Davis went to New York to broaden her educational horizons and attended the Elizabeth Irwin High School in Greenwich Village. She was introduced to the concept of communism here and made her think of racism and poverty.

In 1961, she attended the Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachussetts. She was one of the few black students here and felt isolated psychologically. She became increasing interested in the subject of philosophy here.

In 1962, she went to Europe to be a part of the Eighth World Festival for Youth and Students in Finland. She took this up as an opportunity to meet up revolutionary scholars like herself in the festival.

After studying for a few years in the University of Frankfurt, in 1969 Davis worked as an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of California, Los Angeles. She became a member of the Communist Party USA and joined the Black Panther Party.

At UCLA, the Board of Regents kept trying to get Davis fired from her post because of her association with the Communist Party USA. They were finally able to do it in 1970 - Davis was fired from UCLA for using inflammatory language.

There is a song written on Davis called ‘Angela’ and it was sung by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1972 and was included in Lennon’s album ‘Some Time in New York City’.

Todd Cochran has also recorded a song on Davis called ‘Free Angela (Thoughts… and all I’ve to say).

Rolling Stones’ song ‘Sweet Black Angel’ was dedicated to her.

Davis spent many months in the jail in 1971.

She thinks of Cuba as a racism-free country.