Lost Black History
By Don Valentine
In 1970, Angela Davis became the third woman ever at that time, (11 total) to be placed on the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list. She was wanted for her alleged involvement in kidnappings and murders. The origin was an armed seizure of the Marin County Courthouse in California. In history class you were taught that Ms. Davis was a radical Black Panther member. This description is too narrow a stroke to paint Ms. Davis’ full complex canvas. She was a brief advocate of the Communist party, and is still a member of the Rainbow movement.
She had an ancillary connection to the attempted kidnapping, by supplying the guns to the perpetrators. Essence magazine in a 2020 expose outlined her participation from Ms. Davis’ personal view. “Davis said she owned the guns because of threats to her life, but she had no role in planning the kidnapping. She was born to a middle class family in Birmingham 1944. A recent article nyhistory.org elucidated how her stance on race and feminism evolved. “Angela was exposed to both racism and activism at an early age. Birmingham was one of the most racially segregated cities in the country. Angela’s neighborhood was nicknamed ‘Dynamite Hill’ because the Klan often attacked the homes of Blacks with bombs. Speaking out about civil rights in Birmingham was incredibly dangerous.” Her mother Sallye Bell Davis, was a teacher who was active in the NAACP. Angela’s mother was intransigent in her refusal to stay silent. Ms. Sallye Bell, was the spark to ignite Angela’s militant fire.
We are not taught that this feminist fighter was arguably an academic genius. She took advantage of scholastic options and finished high school in an upscale all White neighborhood in the New York area. This led to her graduating magna cum laude from the acclaimed Brandeis University in 1965. In addition while in her young 20’s Ms. Davis earned a Master’s degree from the University of California, San Diego, in 1968. She earned a doctorate in philosophy at the Humboldt University in East Berlin. At 26 she was invited to be an Associate Professor at the philosophy department of prestigious UCLA. In 1969, Davis was appointed assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. While teaching at UCLA in ‘69 she was involved in the campaign to release three Black imprisoned activists, “The Soledad Brothers.” In 1972, a jury found Ms. Davis not guilty of the charges. She has been a loud advocate of prison reform since then.
After she got released she has become a prolific author of 5 books. NOTE: Those books are being removed from curriculums in many states. Angela’s historical opinions of White behavior are not acceptable in “Anti-WOKE” states like Florida.
One of her most regarded quotes is, “We are Produced by History.” Maya Angelou in an ironic twist [Florida banned her books too] said, “The more we know, the better we are!” Our Black press, for 196 years, has told our History, so we don’t have to learn “His-Story!”
