Angela Davis « Thread Started on Mar 15, 2004, 12:33pm »
In the fall of 1970 Angela Davis was placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List when she was charged with being an accessory in the attempted escape of prisoners from the Marin County (California) Courthouse. In that escape attempt, a white judge and four blacks were killed, among them, Jonathan Jackson, a close friend of Angela Davis. She was accused of supplying him with some of the weapons used in the shoot-out.
Prior to that Miss Davis had become a cause celebre when the State of California attempted to stop her from teaching a philosophy course at the University of California in Los Angeles because of her membership in the Communist Party.
Today her determined, strong face wreathed by a high, soft Afro is familiar to practically every American. The major news media has expended many words on Miss Davis, recounting her academic career as a student of philosophy and of the noted philosopher, Herbert Marcuse, and as a student in Germany. The news media has been perplexed by Angela Davis, wondering why such a brilliant and well - educated woman would become a revolutionary. And, the news media could never answer its question because it never really talked with Miss Davis herself. Because it didn't, the public was deprived of the opportunity to know for itself what Angela Davis thinks and believes.
This recording fills a glaring deficiency in the case of Angela Davis. Interviewed here by Art Seigner, a San Francisco radio commentator, Miss Davis responds with a concise summary of her political views. And, the recording is of particular interest, recorder as it was in June of 1970, a mere two months before the Marin County episode. In the interview, she almost anticipates what was to happen to her.
Central to understanding Miss Davis is the fact that she says she cannot separate herself "as a human being" from black people or the rest of humanity. She is an intellectual; a professor of philosophy; a candidate for a Ph.D., but she refuses to be wholly defined by any of this. In other words, she cares and because she does, she does not view herself in the light of the academic world of which she was a part, but, instead, views herself and that academic world in the light of the political dynamics of contemporary America.
She sets forth her basic position by quoting from Lincoln's second inaugural address in which he stated that it was the obligation and the duty of the people to overthrow the government whenever that government ceased to be responsive to their needs. She aligns herself with what she calls, America's revolutionary tradition, commenting that Americans have forgotten that this country was founded on the violent overthrow of the existing English government.
Re: Angela Davis « Reply #1 on Mar 15, 2004, 12:33pm »
She talks very calmly and evenly, but always, one is aware of the passion just beneath the surface. There is a quiet intensity in her voice, which lets one know that she is a serious woman, not a romantic role-player. Her levity is of such a nature, however, that she is not afraid to let delightful (and sharp) sense of humor come through . When asked if she is radical, she responds with the shortest and most trenchant analysis of moderation that one may hear: "You can't ask a mother to moderately snatch her baby out of a burning house." Her sense of humor reflects itself again, when in response to being asked, "Are you against capitalism?," she breaks into gales of laughter. No other reply is necessary.
A major portion of the record is devoted to an explication of the case of the Soledad Brothers, three black men accused of killing a prison guard at Soledad Prison in California. Immediately prior to her attempt to escape arrest, Miss Davis was actively involved in the defense committee for the Soledad Brothers and it was through her work there that she came into contact with Jonathan Jackson, whose brother, George Jackson is one of the Soledad defendants and the author of Letter from Prison. She gives an excellent analysis of the case, pointing out that prison and death are what faces the politically active black person. The Soledad Brothers, she maintains, were politically active within the prison and when the guard was killed, they were accused of the crime., not because they were guilty, but because the prison authorities wanted to stop them from organizing. She makes an analogy between their case and that of the Black Panther Party Chairman, Booby Seale, who, she maintains, is being legally lynched by being tried for a murder he did not commit. Prisons, she claims, are instruments of political control. And, what is most striking is her analysis is the fact that many could make a good argument today that Miss Davis herself is in prison because she is political, not because she is guilty of a crime.
Miss Davis has the ability to look at accepted values and concepts with new eyes and point up the inconsistencies and contradictions. She examines the concept of theft and points out that George Jackson is in prison for having allegedly stolen $70, while embezzling is not considered theft and no government official ever caught with his hand in the till has been given the seven years to life terms handed out to Jackson.
Re: Angela Davis « Reply #2 on Mar 15, 2004, 12:33pm »
On this recording Angela Davis states her beliefs with simplicity and clarity. Whether one agrees with her or not, her sincerity and commitment are evident, and, they must be respected. For those who are seriously interested in knowing what she believes, this recording should prove of value. There is no sensationalism here. She says nothing in the interview which would make headlines. She simply states her beliefs something she has seldom had the opportunity to do in mass media.
Because the tape was not made in a professional studio, the quality is not professional. It is, however, more than adequate. At one point, there is the sound of a ringing telephone, adding a nice human touch to the humanity evident in Miss Davis. Present with Miss Davis at the time of the interview was Don Wheldin, an attorney involved in the defense of the Soledad Brothers, and, at one point, he adds some details about the case.
Whatever one believes about Angela Davis, it is clear that an opinion cannot be formed honestly without hearing from Miss Davis herself. On this recording we have the opportunity.
Re: Angela Davis « Reply #4 on Feb 11, 2008, 1:20am »
I lived in California when all this was going on. LIFE magazine would always publish pictures, and I remember a picture of Angela Davis being hauled away, with her fist up in the black power salute. I always kind of liked her. She would be a VERY interesting person to talk too.
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