Mica’s Reviews > Angela Davis: An Autobiography > Status Update

Angela went to Cuba and talked about her experiences.

Angela talks about the misogyny within the SNCC and other groups. Although women were doing the most grunt work, men wanted only to claim the attention and glory.

Angela discusses the conflict between the Black Panther Political Party (BPP) and the Black Panther for Self Defense. I had no idea that she wasn’t formally a member of Black Panther party and ideologically she disagreed with them. She talked about her struggle to find a movement to attach to. That she couldn’t find one organization that checked all of her boxes.

Angela did a study abroad in Germany but moved back to the US after 2 years cause she felt like she had to be part of the Black Liberation Movement that was gaining momentum.

Angela traveled to France and discovered that racism was a global thing.

What stood out to me was Angela noticing how racist board members in the South would call Black teachers by their first names in front of students, stripping them of respect the way calling a Black man “boy” or a Black woman “girl” was meant to degrade. Later, in her progressive Northern school, teachers also used first names, but there it signaled closeness, which surprised and confused her.

What stood out was Angela helping women build a bail fund and encouraging them to learn and stay strong, even as jailers tried to stop it. It shows why she frightened the government: she could organize, inspire, and mobilize. It reminds me of starting my podcast to educate and uplift my own community.

Angela’s description of the women in the mental ward: how some were trapped not only in a physical prison but in a prison of their own minds. Angela’s ability to recognize the humanity of people even when they’re part of her oppression is incredible. Her reflections on how the women coped with trauma through Thorazine, contrasted with how she forced herself to stay grounded and move forward.

Enjoying it so far. What stood out most was Angela seeing how vacant the jailed women were, later learning they’d been drugged with Thorazine and left in gray, windowless cells with nothing to occupy their minds. It shows her deep compassion and strength.