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| Angela Davis at a Juneteenth rally in 2020 Yalonda M. James/San Francisco Chronicle/Associated Press |
Angela Davis is a name recognized by many for her activism. Her impact on left wing politics is undeniable and ever-growing as she fights against racism, sexism, capitalism, imperialism, etc. When thinking of inspirational women, her name is always one of the first to come to my mind. Her history is grand and could be and has been put into novel length works. Due to this, much of her work will not make it into this piece, but I will hit on her most influential moments along with her ideas on intersectional feminism.
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| Angela Davis giving the Black Power salute in court Associated Press |
Davis was born in 1944 and was exposed to the effects of racism from a very young age. She lived in Birmingham, Alabama as a young girl when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, grew up in a neighborhood known for how often it was targeted by the Ku Klux Klan, personally knew victims of the Birmingham Church Bombing, etc. As early as her teenage years, she was organizing interracial study groups that were targeted by police. In her time as a graduate student, she began to join political groups, the most recognizable of which being the Black Panthers. In 1969, she was fired from her job at the University of California for her ties to the Communist Party. After she took this to court and got her job back due to the court finding this termination illegal, she was fired again nine months later for her public speeches. In 1970, a firearm registered under her name was used in a courthouse takeover, and Davis was charged with three capital offenses. She went into hiding and landed a spot on the F.B.I.'s Ten Most Wanted List. Like other prevalent black activists, the rhetoric surrounding her charges became extreme, despite her only connection to the attack being the weapon. When she was captured, Richard Nixon, who was president at the time, celebrated the capture of a "dangerous terrorist." Through this arrest and the publicity surrounding her trial, Davis became a symbol of change and revolution. After 18 months in jail, she was found not guilty.
While Davis's time with the Black Panthers and the trial she went through are perhaps what she is most recognized for, they are neither the beginning nor the end of her activism. As mentioned earlier, she was already organizing interracial study groups as a teen. Today, Angela Davis is 77 years old and continues her activism. Davis's politics are very left wing. She is a Marxist, a prison abolitionist, an lgbt+ rights activist (which makes sense since she is openly a lesbian herself), pro-Palestine, and an intersectional feminist. While this does not cover all her political beliefs, it is enough to show that many ideas that are considered "radical left" ideology right now, Davis has been believing in and preaching since before many young leftists who advocate for it were even alive. To see the way her ideas exist today and what exactly she advocates for, her facebook is a great place to start. However, to really get a grasp of her beliefs it is best to read her work and listen to her lectures. Davis has written many books, three of which stand out as feminist readings. These books are Women, Race, & Class (a book published in 1983 delving into the feminist movement and how it has been hindered by the racism and classism prevalent in some of the loudest advocates), Women, Culture, & Politics (a compilation of poems and speeches published in 1990), and Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday (a book published in 1999 discussing prominent women in the blues industry in relation to feminism). Each of these books looks at feminism as it overlaps with other areas of Davis's activism.
Davis takes the term intersectional feminism to a place that not only preaches including all women in her feminism but actively practices it. Davis believes that all areas of her activism not only can but should be intertwined into her feminism. For example, being anti-capitalism is important to Davis's feminism because the suffering it causes directly affects the most vulnerable groups of women intersectional feminism is meant to include and protect. Any average person living in a capitalist society has to deal with the struggles of having their labor exploited for rich people to profit off of, but black women in this position also have to deal with the fact that, due to the head start white families in this country had, black people own significantly less wealth in the United States than white people do. Therefore, they're in the group of people who, according to Davis's beliefs, would benefit most from a restructuring of our economic system. Davis believes that white feminism has been the face of feminism for too long, and feminism that does not include all women is not any feminism she wants a part of. Davis talks at great lengths about this overlap of activism and the need for intersectionality, but this eight minute clip gives a great summary of what her ideas on it are.
I genuinely believe this overlap in activism that Davis displays in her feminism is the future of the feminist movement. While the term intersectional feminism is popular and well known, I think that it falls flat far too often. It has become a buzzword that people use to absolve themselves of doing any work to help minority groups that they are not included in. Hoever, they often do not actually advocate for the beliefs that make up a feminism that truly fights for all women. Obviously, this is not always the case and there are plenty of true intersectional feminists, but too often the term is used for show and people do not actually advocate for the needs of all women. One of the most counterproductive forms of feminism that exists is "radical feminism" that focuses solely on women who were assigned female at birth and excludes trans women on the basis that they have "male privilege." This form of feminism refuses to see that the way the trans movement is trying to deconstruct the patriarchy by reworking our understanding of gender is only going to help the feminist movement. In the same realm of thinking, feminism that does not actively listen to the needs of women of color denies the fact that the patriarchy and white supremacy go hand in hand. By ignoring half of the issues that drive sexism, these forms of feminism often fall flat of any real change. When they do induce change, it is too common for that change to only positively impact cishet white women. It is not only my hope but my belief that Davis's ideas of a truly intersectional feminism will one day be the norm and not what too many believe to be the "extreme."
Dana! I think this is an excellent blog. Angela Davis is the heart of intersectional feminism and your blog really demonstrates this. You touched on some really important information, especially regarding the form of "radical feminism" that is counterproductive for various reasons. I didn't know that Angela Davis lived in Alabama during the time Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on that bus but I can imagine that would become a driving factor in Davis's lifelong activism.
ReplyDeleteAngela Davis is powerful and strong and fierce and who said it better than you, Dana! I loved reading this blog, it really highlights how challenging it was for a black woman to grow and blossom in such a cruel environment as Alabama in the 50s. It is inspiring to hear Davis's story of how she overcame and fought and continues to fight. She is a dedicated woman and a definite role model.
ReplyDeleteAngela Davis seems like such a inspiration, and your report on her definitely convinced me to read her works. Her strength against misogynoir, capitalism, and imperialism is nothing short of impressive, and I definitely agree with a lot of her points. Especially her point that feminism must be intersectional to mean anything, and that capitalism feeds on women. Thank you for teaching me more about her!
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