Angela Davis to speak on campus http://media.www.universitychronicle.com/media/storage/paper231/news/2009/02/26/News/Angela.Davis.To.Speak.On.Campus-3650446.shtml
Annika Sjolie Issue date: 2/26/09 It's not every day a former FBI's most wanted fugitive comes to SCSU's campus. But at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Angela Davis will speak in Ritsche Auditorium. "Davis is a great 'bridge' between Black History Month and Women's History Month; two important awareness months traditionally celebrated at SCSU," said Jane Olsen, Women's Center director. An activist, scholar and writer, Davis gained popularity in the early 1970s when the University of California - Los Angeles removed her from her teaching position due to her involvement as a member in the Communist Party USA and in association with the Black Panthers Party. "Davis is an internationally known icon and has done amazing work with the intersection of race and class, and continues to do so today," said Angie Witte, Multicultural Student Services program coordinator. Davis earned her spot on the FBI's most wanted list when she fled after a gun registered under her name was used in the attempted escape of the Soledad brothers and George Jackson from the courthouse prior to their trail. In 1972 Davis was arrested and tried. She was acquitted and has since been an advocate for feminist causes, racial equality and the abolition of prisons and the death penalty. Davis used the energy from this trial and founded the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, a group still active today. "This is going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity," Witte said. "Especially for the students that are reading her materials in class. It will be nice to get the chance to hear her speak after studying her work." In 1979 Davis visited the Soviet Union where she received the Lenin Peace Prize for her work with civil rights and social change. One year later Davis ran for vice-president for the Communist Party, and again in 1984. Davis is now a professor emerita at the University of California-Santa Cruz working in the History of Consciousness Department as well serving as the presidential chair in African American and Feminist Studies. She has written five books, the latest of which is titled "Are Prisons Obsolete?" and was released in 2003. "I am among a number of event organizers that are delighted to be hosting Dr. Angela Y. Davis at SCSU," Olsen said. "She is a role model for addressing systematic racism, sexism, homophobia and other forms of oppression that continue to plague our society. She is an inspiration to those of us not satisfied with what's in front of us today." A variety of organizations take credit for bringing Davis to campus. They include: The Women's Center, GBLT, Multicultural Student Services, Residence Hall Association, Women's Studies, Academic Affairs, Multicultural Resource Center and C-SOLD. This event is free and open to the public. . --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Sixties-L" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/sixties-l?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
