Angela Davis grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, an area where racial tension between black and white was rife. In 1965, she won a scholarship to Brandeis University, where she became the protegé of the Marxist philosopher, Herbert Marcuse. During her time at college, Angela spent a year in Paris where she became acquainted with Algerian student revolutionaries who believed that Marxism held the solution to the United States' social problems.
However, it was the callous bombing of a black church in Birmingham, Alabama (her home town), in 1963 in which 4 children were killed that cemented her political commitment. When Angela returned to the US in 1968 to complete her degree she joined the Communist Party. She was also an active member of the Black Panther Party and the Student Non-Violent Co-ordinating Committee. In 1969 she was appointed a lecturer in Philosophy at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA). But, because of her membership of the Communist Party, the university governors refused to confirm her position. So a long campaign began for Angela to keep her post. Angela also became active in various campaigns on campus and in the community. Most notably, she was active in the movement to release the Soledad Brothers - one of whom was George Jackson - and in 1969, she was dismissed from UCLA for her 'radical' views and activities on behalf of the Soledad Brothers.
After being refused permission to visit George Jackson in prison, Angela became friendly with his younger brother, Jonathan. This relationship had far-reaching consequences for Angela. It was after Jonathan's failed attempt to secure the release of the Soledad Brothers that Angela Davis became a household name. The guns used in the kidnapping had been registered in Angela's name. She became the woman most wanted by the FBI in its clampdown on the Black Panther Party and a nationwide hunt for her was launched. Angela was found two months later in New York. She was charged with conspiracy, murder and kidnap. Angela had become a victim of the system she had been fighting. In 1972, after a 13-week trial, she was acquitted of all charges.
She was also active in organisations such as the national alliance against Racist and Political Repression and the Black Women's Health Project. In 1980 and 1984 she stood as the Communist Party's vice-presidential candidate.
Since the 1970s, Angela has travelled all over the world to speak and teach. Based in California she lectures to university students on black philosophy and aesthetics as well as running courses in women's studies. Her Women, Race & Class published in 1981 is regarded as one of the most important books to examine the triple oppression facing black women.
Find out more about the people who made a difference on the HomeBeats: Struggles for Racial Justice CDROM.