Guide to Angela Davis Materials,

Transcription

1 No online items Finding aid prepared by Lisa L. Crane, MLIS, May 2014 Special Collections, Honnold/Mudd Library 800 North Dartmouth Ave Claremont, CA, Phone: (909) URL: Claremont University Consortium. All rights reserved. H.Mss

2 Descriptive Summary Title: Angela Davis Materials Dates: Collection number: H.Mss.1027 Extent: 1 box Repository: Claremont Colleges. Library. Special Collections, Honnold/Mudd Library. Claremont, CA Abstract: Angela Yvonne Davis (born January 26, 1944) is an American political activist, scholar, and author. She emerged as a nationally prominent counterculture activist and radical in the 1960s as a leader of the Communist Party USA. In 1970 she became heavily involved with George Jackson's case and is accused of taking part in a prison uprising that occurs related to Jackson. This collection contains 27 pamphlets, books and related ephemera concering the imprisonment and trial of Angela Davis, published during and immediately after her 18-month incarceration. The materials illustrate the efforts of several Free Angela Davis support groups in spreading her story and raising funds for her defense. The books and pamphlets generally describe the events surrounding Davis's trial, including opening and closing statements, questionable legal wrangling, and pledges of support from political, African-American, and international communities; one pamphlet written in German and another a translation from a German politician. Physical location: Please consult repository. Language of materials: Languages represented in the collection: English, one item in German and one item in Spanish. Access This collection is open for research. Publication Rights All requests for permission to reproduce or to publish must be submitted in writing to Special Collections. Preferred Citation [Identification of item], Angela Davis Materials (Collection H.Mss.1027). Special Collections, Honnold/Mudd Library, Claremont University Consortium. Source of Acquisition Collection was purchased by Lisa Crane with John H. Kemble funds. Accruals No additions to the collection are anticipated. Processing Information Collection was processed at the item level. Materials were first sorted by type and then arranged alphabetically by title. Biography/Chronology 1944 Angela Davis is born in Birmingham, Alabama Davis attends Elizabeth Irwin High School in Greenwich Village in New York City Fall Davis attends Brandeis University. She is one of two Black students in her freshman class. While at Brandeis, 1962 Summer> 1963 September 16 she meets Herbert Marcuse and becomes his student. Davis attends the Eighth World Festival for Youth and Students in Helsinki, Finland. A church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama kills four girls who Davis knew from her childhood Davis returns to Paris where she studies French, but is drawn toward studying philosophy, Karl Marx, and 1967 Summer communism. During her time abroad, much activism is brewing in the United States. Davis hears Stokely Carmichael speak Davis moves to University of California, San Diego to continue studying philosophy. While there, she is involved in community activism, which includes aiding individuals in prison who do not have access to legal help as well as organizing rallies to spread her message Davis participates in the Black Panther Party in Los Angeles. She also has close ties to SNCC at this time. Her activities include the creation of the SNCC Youth Corps, as well as the creation of the People's Tribunal Committee that deals with police brutality and repression April Martin Luther King is assassinated. H.Mss

3 1968 July Davis joins the Che-Lumumba Club, which was the Black cell of the Communist Party. During this time she continues to work on her Ph.D at University of California, San Diego Davis travels to Cuba Davis continues work on her Ph.D and becomes affiliated with George Jackson. She becomes heavily involved with his case A prison uprising occurs related to George Jackson's case, and Angela Davis is accused of taking part in this. August Davis is placed on the FBI's Most Wanted List and she flees California, but is eventually caught in New York Davis spends time in prison in New York. She is later moved to California, where her case will be tried While in prison in California, Davis takes part in the publication of a book entitled, If They Come in the Morning George Jackson is killed in prison. August 1972 As a result of changed laws in California as well as the Free Angela campaign, Davis is finally given a bail February hearing and is released from prison June 4 The jury of Davis' case delivers a "not guilty" verdict and Angela is released from jail after 18 months of incarceration Davis returns to the classroom and begins teaching again at San Francisco State University Davis hired as a part time lecturer at the Black Studies Center at The Claremont Colleges for the year She taught one two-part seminar entitled, "Black Women and the Development of the Black Community" Davis visits the Soviet Union and is awarded the Lenin Peace Prize. She is also made an honorary professor at Moscow State University Davis runs as the Vice-Presidential candidate for the Communist Party Davis runs again as the Vice-Presidential candidate for the Communist Party in the United States. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Davis continues her work as an academic, publishing multiple books and teaching and lecturing throughout the United States and the world Davis begins teaching as a professor in the History of Consciousness and the Feminist Studies Departments at the University of California, Santa Cruz Davis is appointed to the University of California Presidential Chair in African American and Feminist Studies Davis speaks out in protest at University of California, Los Angles against Proposition 209, which would ban October affirmative action in University of California schools Davis retires as Distinguished Professor Emerita from University of California, Santa Cruz May Davis is commencement speaker at Pitzer College, Claremont. Source: Scope and Contents of the Collection A collection of 27 pamphlets, books and related ephemera concering the imprisonment and trial of Angela Davis, published during and immediately after her 18-month incarceration. The materials illustrate the efforts of several Free Angela Davis support groups in spreading her story and raising funds for her defense. While several of the books and pamphlets were produced late in her incarceration and immediately following her release, most were distributed in the days and months following her arrest. They show the grassroots efforts, particularly in the cities of New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, to disseminate trial news and personal pleas of support from Davis and other prominent members of the African-American community. The books and pamphlets generally describe the events surrounding Davis's trial, including opening and closing statements, questionable legal wrangling, and pledges of support from political, African-American, and international communities; one pamphlet written in German and another a translation from a German politician. Arrangement The collection is arranged into four series by material type: Series 1: Books, Series 2: Newspapers, 1971 Series 3: Pamphlets, Series 4: Broadsheets and broadsides, Indexing Terms The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog. Davis, Angela Y. (Angela Yvonne), H.Mss

4 National United Committee to Free Angela Davis. Actions and defenses California Davis, Angela Y. (Angela Yvonne), Trials, litigation, etc. Litigation Trials Series 1: Books, Box 1, Folder 1 Am Beispiel Angela Davis, Lother Menne and Klaus Vack (editors), 1971 September Published in Offenbach, Germany by the Sozialistisches Buro. First edition. In German. Includes a foreward by Ernst Bloch, articles by Davis, Herbert Marcuse, and several German activists. Box 1, Folder 2 Closing Defense Statement Made in the Angela Davis Case, Leo Branton, 1972 June 1 Cover title, Freed by the People. Published in San Francisco by the National United Committee to Free Angela Davis. Box 1, Folder 3 Free Angela Davis: Hero of the Other America, Dr. Klaus Steiniger, circa 1971 Published by the National Council of the National Front of the German Democratic Republic. First American edition. Translated from German. Contains an address by Werner Lamberz, member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. Series 2: Newspapers, 1971 Box 1, Folder 27 People's World, 1971 February 27 Published in San Francisco by the International Union of Students. Includes a bright orange and black centerfold poster of Davis. Series 3: Pamphlets, Box 1, Folder 4 Frame Up: The Opening Defense Statement Made by Angela Y. Davis, Angela Davis, 1972 March 29 Published in San Francisco by the National United Committee to Free Angela Davis. Box 1, Folder 5 The Fight to Free Angela Davis: Its Importance for the Working Class, Charlene Mitchell, 1972 May Published in New York by New Outlook Publishers. First edition. Box 1, Folder 6 The Meaning of San Rafael, Henry Winston, 1971 August Published in New York by New Outlook Publishers. First edition. Written by the African-American chairman of the U.S. Communist Party in Defense of Davis. H.Mss

5 Series 3: Pamphlets, Box 1, Folder 7 On the Defense of Angela Davis: Speech Delivered at the Unitarian Church, Los Angeles, John J. Abt, 1970 November 22 Published in Los Angeles by the National United Committee to Free Angela Davis. First edition. Box 1, Folder 8 On Trial: Angela Davis or America?, Reverend Ralph Abernathy, John J. Abt, Paul E. Miller, and Ossie Davis, circa 1971 Published in New York by the Angela Davis Legal Defense Fund. Box 1, Folder 9 A Political Biography of Angela Davis, circa 1970 Published in Los Angeles by the National United Committee to Free Angela Davis. First edition. Box 1, Folder 10 A Political Biography of Angela Davis, 1971 Published in New York by the New York Committee to Free Angela Davis. Second printing. Series 4: Broadsheets and broadsides, Box 1, Folder 11 Act Now to Save Angela's Life: Support the Fund Drive, 1972 January Printed on one side in English and the other in Spanish. Invitation of support for Davis's defense fund. Box 1, Folder 12 Angela Davis Weekend, 1971 May Printed in Philadelphia by the Philadelphia Committee to Free Angela Davis. Flyer for showing of the film, Angela "Like It Is," and a speech by Davis's lawyer, Margaret Burnham. Box 1, Folder 13 Free Angela and All Political Prisoners: The Newsletter of the United Committee to Free Angela Davis, Newsletter No. 2, 1970 December 8 Printed in Los Angeles by the National United Committee to Free Angela Davis. Box 1, Folder 14 Free Angela and All Political Prisoners: the Newsletter of the National United Committee to Free Angela Davis, Newsletter No. 6, 1971 March 26 Printed in Los Angeles by the National United Committee to Free Angela Davis. Box 1, Folder 15 One Million People Sponsor Freedom for Angela Davis, circa 1970 Printed in Los Angeles by the National Committee to Free Angela Davis. Broadside seeking support for Davis. Box 1, Folder 16 Open letter from the Philadelphia Committee to Free Angela Davis, 1971 October Printed in Philadelphia by the Philadelphia Committee to Free Angela Davis. Letter asking for donations for Davis on the one-year anniversary of her incarceration. H.Mss

6 Series 4: Broadsheets and broadsides, Box 1, Folder 17 People's Petition to Appellate Courts of California Demanding Bail for Angela Davis, circa 1971 Printed in New York by the New York Committee to Free Angela Davis. Petition for the release of Davis on bail. Box 1, Folder 18 People's Petition to Supreme Court of California Demanding Bail for Angela Davis, circa 1971 Printed in New York by the New York Committee to Free Angela Davis. Petition for the release of Davis on bail. Box 1, Folder 19 Philadelphia Committee to Free Angela Davis Presents "An Evening on Angela Davis" with ticket, 1971 Printed in Philadelphia by the Philadelphia Committee to Free Angela Davis. Flyer for a speech by Davis's mother along with a small yellow ticket for the event. Box 1, Folder 20 Philadelphia Committee to Free Angela Davis -- Newsletter No. 1, 1971 June Printed in Philadelphia by the Philadelphia Committee to Free Angela Davis. Report on a showing of the film, Angela "Like It Is," a speech by Davis's mother, and information about the group's next meeting. Box 1, Folder 21 Philadelphia Social Science Forum Presents 2 Films -- "Angela: Like It Is" and "Children of the Revolution", 1971 Printed in Philadelphia by the Philadelphia Social Science Forum. Flyer for a film about Davis. Box 1, Folder 22 We Demand: No Extradition of Angela Davis to California!, circa 1970 Printed in New York by the New York Committee to Defend Angela Davis. Flyer promoting a demonstration at Governor Norman Rockefeller's office to stop the extradition of Davis to California. Box 1, Folder 23 Summary of Legal Proceedings, 1970 December 16 A brief description of Davis's case from her arrest on October 21 to her court appearance on December 16. Box 1, Folder 24 Bail for Angela Davis: Judge Says No, Probation Report Says Yes, circa 1970 Printed in New York by the New York Committee to Free Angela Davis. A copy of the probation officer's report. Box 1, Folder 25 Free Angela Davis, circa 1970 Printed in New York by the New York Committee to Free Angela Davis. H.Mss

7 Series 4: Broadsheets and broadsides, Box 1, Folder 26 Get It Together! An Open Letter to Black High School Students, Angela Davis, 1971 March 23 Printed in New York by the New York Committee to Free Angela Davis. A letter issued from the Marin County Jail attempting to enlist youth to the class struggle. H.Mss