Agela Davis to speak on social justice, women's rights

[Moorbey]

Activist Agela Davis to speak on social justice, women's rights
By Kimberly Johnson
Posted: 10/19/09, 3:00 AM EST


Angela Davis was taken into custody when a gun, allegedly registered in her name, was used in a fatal shooting of a California Superior Court judge Aug. 7, 1970.

Davis was put on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, the third woman in history to be on it. She was arrested and charged with and tried for murder, kidnapping and conspiracy. Davis spent 16 months in prison before being acquitted of all charges.

Ever since her time spent in prison, Davis has committed her life to seeking social justice.

"Angela Davis stood up against all the power of the government and survived," said Bill Cole, African American studies professor and department chair in a news release. "Her courage and strength was a beacon of light."

Davis, a feminism scholar and civil rights activist, will hold a lecture Monday night, "Feminist Methods of Contemporary Quests for Social Justice," at the Life Sciences Complex Auditorium. She will talk about her work, life and civil rights in the future.

She is currently in her second year of a three-year professorship with Syracuse University's department of women's and gender studies.

Davis has lectured in countries around the world, as well as in multiple states in the U.S. Her main topic is the attainment of social justice, namely for women. Her topics range from the need to suppress nationalism and her opposition of the prison system to the advancement of women of color and equal rights.

Davis is known for her activism during the civil rights movement, her association with the Black Panther Party, her membership with the Communist Party and her candidacy as Vice President for the United States under the Community Party ticket.

"Angela Davis is a revolutionary scholar-activist whose legacy spans several generations," said Chandra Mohanty, a women's and gender studies professor and department chair in a news release. "Her work on behalf of racial, class and gender equality, LGBT rights and prison abolition has redefined the possibilities of social and economic justice."

Nyasha Boldon, a junior political science major, said she believes that what sets Davis apart from other activists is how she recognizes the importance of both race and gender in the attainment of social justice.

"Angela Davis emerged during a time when women, particularly women of color, had little voice in the public sector," Boldon said.

Boldon said that Davis has inspired many young people like her to push for a more just society for women and minorities.

"Just because something is right does not mean it will automatically be recognized by society. However, if you believe that something is not right or does not equal justice, it is important to speak up and defend what you believe to be right," Boldon said.

Angela Davis is a professor emerita at the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a focus on the History of Consciousness and Feminist Studies. She is the founder of Critical Resistance, a prison industrial complex abolition organization. Davis has authored five books including "Women, Race and Class" and "Angela Davis: An Autobiography." She is set to release her sixth book in February.

Kjohns07@syr.edu