Angela Yvone Davis is a philosopher and activist who fights for the rights of black people and

women in the US and around the world. She was born on January 26, 1944, in Birmingham,
Alabama, United States. At that time, the black population suffered a lot from the racial
segregation that existed in the southern states of the United States, a place that had no policy
in favor of black people.

The activist has always experienced strong racism and had to see the horrible actions of the
Ku Klux Klan group, such as lynching black people and setting fire to churches and homes.

As a young girl, Angela created a school group on racial issues, which was quickly discovered,
harassed and banned by the police.

After completing high school, Angela Davis moved to Massachusetts, upstate, to attend
Brandeis University. Even with racism being present everywhere, the north was much more
ahead in racial issues than the south.

When the philosopher moved to Massachusetts (1963) there was a bomb attack on a black
church in Angela's hometown, and four people she knew died. This shocked Angela and made
her understand that she really needed to fight for the racial issue in her country. She began to
be part of anti-racist organizations such as the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating
Committee), which had as its principle a peaceful resistance, but over time it ceased to exist.
Angela participated in the Black Panther Party, which fought for rights in a combative way, yet
Angela was peacefully part of the movement. Davis also joined the Communist Party USA.

Because the activist was from the Communist Party and the Black Panthers, she was fired
from the University that taught Philosophy. Angela's life was getting more and more difficult.
While fighting the unjust imprisonment of black people in the United States, she was placed on
the FBI's 10 most wanted criminals list, being accused of conspiracy, kidnapping and murder.

In 1970 Angela Davis was arrested in New York for a crime that occurred, according to the
police, there was a man who shot a judge, and the gun used was in Angela's name. The
judgement lasted 18 months, there was a campaign for Davis' release, and after the
judgement, Angela was cleared and released.

Until today, activist Angela Davis fights for her rights, in addition to fighting for the end of
serving sentences in prisons, as she considers that prisons in the United States are a big prison
for black and Latino people.