Everything You Never Knew About Angela Davis, the Legend of the Revolution
15 little-known facts about the revolutionary Angela Davis, who turned the fight against repression into a global movement.
Black News 
As Angela Davis celebrates her 82nd birthday Monday (Jan. 26), The Root honors the living legacy of the revolutionary activist, scholar, abolitionist and author with 15 things you may not know about the woman whose iconic afro is rivaled only by her brilliance.
Raised in Birmingham’s “Dynamite Hill”
In the 1950s, Angela Davis grew up in a Birmingham, Alabama neighborhood called “Dynamite Hill” because of the number of white supremacist bombings that targeted Black families. The area was part of the domestic terrorism tactics that the Ku Klux Klan used to bomb Birmingham (knicknamed “Bomingham”) to stop racial integration.
Greenwich Village Sparked Global Black Consciousness
As a teenager, Davis moved to New York City to attend the progressive Elisabeth Irwin High School through a program funded by Quakers. It was there that Davis heard black people speaking Spanish for the first time and she realized that political internationalism “stretched beyond the particular national borders of the U.S.,” according to NYU News.
Fluent in French and Germany
Davis earned her bachelor’s degree in French from Brandeis University in Massachusetts, graduating magna cum laude in French literature in 1965. She also speaks German and attended the University of Frankfurt in Germany to pursue graduate work in philosophy.
Paris Shaped A Personal Awakening
While studying at the Sorbonne in Paris, Davis immersed herself in the Algerian independence movement, which broadened her understanding of the global anti-colonial struggle. While in France, she was incredibly inspired by the writings of philosphers including Jean-Paul Sartre.
Germany Deepened Her Critical Theory Lens
In Frankfurt, Davis studied under her mentor, Herbert Marcuse, a leading Markist thinker of the Frankfurt School. His critique of capitalism and authoritarianism helped shape her analysis of Critical Theory and sytemic oppression through a global lens.
She Brought Marxism to the Black Panther Party
Davis joined the Black Panther Party in 1969 and approached Black liberation through a Marxist lens. As a member of the Communist Party USA, she emphasized the link between racial justice and global anti-capitalism.
Placed on FBI’s Most Wanted List
In 1970, Davis was placed on on the FBI’s Most Wanted list after guns regestered in her name were used in an attack on a courthouse attack, even though she wasn’t even there. She went on the run, was later arrested and was ultimately acquitted — after spending more than a year in jail. The period transformed her into an international symbol of state repression and resistance.
“Free Angela” Drew Global Solidarity, But Resisted Saviorism
The “Free Angela” movement begam as a legal campaign that became a global protest after Davis went on the run and was arrested. Supporters worldwide rallied to her cause, but Davis and the Panthers insisted that white allies support the movement, without lead it, so Black leadership could stay at the center.
UCLA Fired Her Twice For Being a Commumist
Davis was fired from UCLA in the late 1960s because of her Communist Party membership. Her termination was supported by then-California Governor Ronald Reagan, who pushed for her removal as part of a broader anti-Communist crackdown.
She later returned to teaching at UCLA, but the university again tried to dismiss her for the same reason. Courts ultimately ruled in her favor, reinforcing that political beliefs alone could not justify firing a professor.
Prison Abolitionist Since the 1970s
Davis argues that the U.S. prison system is a tool of racial and economic control. She helped popularize the term “prison-industrial complex” and has long advocated for alternatives to incarceration, including restorative justice and community-based support.
Two U.S. Vice President Runs
Davis ran as the Communist Party USA’s vice-presidental candidate in 1980 and 1984.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono Wrote a Song for Her
The 1972 song “Angela” was part of a wave of global cultural support that made Davis a symbol of resistance.
Longtime Vegan
Davis connects veganism to her polities, arguing a connection between systems of exploitation, whether they affect people or animals.
Early LGBTQ+ Advocate
Davis, who was married to Hilton Braithwaite from 1980 to 1983, publicly identified as lesbian in a 1997 interview with Out magazine and has long supported LGBTQ+ liberation as part of broader social justice.
French School Dropped Her Name Over Racism Critiques
A French school that once honored Davis removed her name after she spoke out against systemic racism, showing that her politics remain controversial even abroad. The move showed how her politics remain controversial, even abroad.
