There was standing room only as more 2,000 guests gathered at the Rockefeller Memorial Chapel on University of Chicago’s campus recently to hear the words of wisdom from social activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis. As they waited to enter the venue, attendees of younger and older generations wrapped around the block in anticipation to hear the author and professor speak about the topic of “Feminism & Abolition Theories & Practices for the 21st Century”.
As Angela walked onto the stage and before she was formally introduced, those who were seated rose to their feet and greeted her with a standing ovation. The charismatic guest speaker received another standing ovation before she commenced her speech. Known for her work in racial and gender equality, in addition to her passion to fight against incarceration discrimination, the Critical Resistance (www.criticalresistance.org) co-founder said she spent four days in Chicago. She recognized the city for its “history of struggle, the city of the Haymarket Riots, the city of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark, the city of Puerto Rican activism, the city of immigrant rights activists and the city of the Teachers’ Union.”
Angela paid homage to social rights activist Assata Shakur throughout her speech, who was recently named as the first woman on the FBI’s most wanted terrorist list because of a shootout in 1973 in New Jersey that resulted in the death of a New Jersey law enforcement officer. The Black Panther Party member was also wounded in the back as she stood with her hands in the air and unarmed.
“Assata is certainly not a terrorist,” Angela proclaimed.
As one who was on that list 43 years ago, a few years prior to Assata, Angela empathized with her. With the labeling process that still exists, Angela commented this recent news reminds her that there’s much left over from the 20th century as the ghost of J. Edgar Hoover continues to haunt peo
ple.
Angela tailored her speech to discuss issues in Chicago and stated the number of people killed by the Chicago Police Department (CPD), the view of youth as disposable and the number of school closings in pre-dominantly black communities. She cited the Cook County Department of Corrections as one of the largest mental institutions in the U.S. She acknowledged the suffering in public education and health care on a national level.
Photo Credit: Raymond Boyd
The social advocate also discussed gender equality, which included her discussion on transgender individuals who are sent to male prisons, receive more violent treatment from fellow inmates and the worst treatment by officers. The rights of these individuals are not acknowledged and are violated.
“We need to fight and think against what is ideologically ‘normal’,” Angela commented. “Learn to look at what appears to be ‘normal’.”
The Alabama native said as far as she can remember, she was attracted to what wasn’t ‘normal’. In high school, she loved square dancing and recalled someone telling her black people didn’t square dance, which foreshadowed her future of alternative thinking.
During Angela’s speech, her comments were applauded and amen’d by spectators. The guests gave the scholar another standing ovation as she ended her discussion, which was followed by a Q&A session. Young attendees courageously walked to the microphone to ask Angela questions about her life and her views on violence in the streets of Chicago. She explained how and why guns were used 40 years ago, as opposed to why they’re used today.
“Now, there are more guns than there are people,” Angela replied. “This is an abolitionist struggle. In this era, we have to say no more guns.”
A sea of diverse individuals waited and gathered to hear a prolific figure speak who changed the course of history. Angela Y. Davis’s marks will remain imprints for future generations to learn from and for older generations to never forget.
