Angela Davis Lecture on Justice and Activism

Dec 3, 2024

Lecture Notes: Angela Davis at the University of Chicago

Introduction

  • Speaker: Angela Davis
  • Event organized by:
    • Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture
    • Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality
  • Acknowledgements to staff, co-sponsors, and guests.
  • Lecture Format
    • Angela Davis to speak for 45 minutes
    • 20 minutes for Q&A

Background on Angela Davis

  • Activist and scholar involved in social justice movements globally.
  • Emphasizes building communities for economic, racial, gender, and sexual justice.
  • Teaching career spans multiple prestigious universities.
  • Authored nine books; lectures internationally.
  • Focus on issues related to incarceration and the prison industrial complex.
  • Advocates for the abolition of the prison industrial complex.
  • Founding member of Critical Resistance.

Historical Context

  • Chicago's history in struggle and activism mentioned (Haymarket, Fred Hampton, Assata Shakur).
  • Recent FBI classification of Assata Shakur as a terrorist and implications.
  • Personal experience of Angela Davis being labeled a terrorist in the 1970s.

Key Issues Discussed

Feminism and Abolition

  • Intersection of feminist struggles with abolitionism.
  • Historical exclusion of women of color from the mainstream feminist movement.
  • Importance of rethinking and restructuring categories such as 'woman' and 'gender.'
  • Role of radical women of color in reshaping feminist theories.

Transgender Issues in Prisons

  • Highlighting the struggles of trans women in the prison system.
  • Mention of TGI Justice Project led by trans women of color.
  • Abolitionist movement should include dismantling gender policing.
  • Gender binary system critiqued as a form of systemic violence.

Broader Social Justice Issues

  • Critique of mass incarceration and its racial dynamics.
  • Intersectionality of gender, race, and incarceration discussed.
  • Mention of various individuals and groups unjustly imprisoned.
  • The role of capitalism in perpetuating systemic inequalities and incarceration.

Feminist Methodologies

  • Approach to activism and research that embraces surprise and challenges norms.
  • The importance of transformative and non-assimilationist approaches.
  • Use of feminism to understand broader systems of oppression and create change.

Conclusion

  • Emphasis on the ongoing struggle against racism, sexism, and capitalism.
  • Reference to Assata Shakur’s perspective on the social issues facing youth today.
  • Call to action for current and future generations to continue the fight for justice.

Final Remarks

  • Last words from Assata Shakur on poverty and oppression.
  • Encouragement for continued activism and struggle for a just future.

These notes provide a comprehensive summary of Angela Davis' lecture focusing on feminism, abolition, and social justice, highlighting the interconnectedness of various forms of oppression and the importance of continued activism.

Full transcript