today in Black history - feb 23

Activist and educator Angela Davis was freed from jail after 16 months on February 23, 1972

Angela Davis exiting the North County Courthouse on 2/23/72, raising a fist and smiling at supporters (not pictured) before leaving in a white Mustang.

The story of Angela Davis’ incarceration and subsequent freedom and acquittal on all charges teaches us a lot about how the system functions in the United States and provides a strong example of how an organized community can push that system to enact justice. The experience of being jailed for 16 months provided Davis with the kind of firsthand experience that lead her to write the book, Are Prisons Obsolete (a must read).

This website featuring a piece written by Angela Davis’ friend, activist Bettina Aptheker, provides an excellent account of the circumstances surrounding Davis’ arrest and trial. You can also watch the speech that Angela Davis delivered at UCLA after her acquittal: