Angela Davis at Marquette
Marquette University’s newsletters recently announced that American political activist, scholar, and author Angela Davis is set to give a talk at the Al McGuire Center on March 29th. Though Angela Davis is a world renowned political activist, many younger generations do not have the privilege of knowing who she is and what she has done for our country. Prior to her visit to Marquette, here are some things you should know in order to get a feel for the tone of her upcoming talk.
Born in 1944 in Birmingham Alabama, Davis grew up in the heat of segregation within America. She lived in what was referred to as “Dynamite Hill” neighborhood, a neighborhood which would frequent bombings of middle-class African American houses as a sort of “warning” by white people to tell them to get out of the country. Davis attended completely segregated grade schools. She became an influential part of the resistance movement from a young age, as her mother was a national officer of the Southern Negro Youth Congress. Davis helped with her endeavors within the organization by building allegiances of African Americans within the South during this time.
Post schooling, Davis became a professor in the philosophy department of the University of Los Angeles, California. During this time, Davis was a member of the Communist Party, due to her mother’s influence as a child. This combined with her professor-title, UCLA was urged to fire Davis on her political affiliation, but the school declined.
Ever since, Angela Davis has been fighting for the rights of equality of all different groups. Davis has worked to fight for marginalized people across the world, such as in America, Cuba, and the Soviet Union under fascist regimes. She’s continued her research alongside her field work, focusing her studies on feminism, African-American studies, critical theory, and social consciousness. Davis continues to fight for the unspoken population. Her talks focus on her work and what society can do to boost such work as she continues her war against prejudice and inequality.
Angela Davis’ visit to Marquette will focus on what she believes, which is essentially representation for all. The talk will be hosted at the Al McGuire Center on March 29th from 7 pm-9pm. Tickets are now for registration on the Marquette website for students, faculty, and the general public.