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• 1 2019-12-09T20:46:10-05:00 "Sauvons Angela" 6 plain 2020-03-17T23:44:17-04:00

  
  This large orange poster shows an image of Angela Davis with the demand "Sauvons Angela,” which mean "Save Angela" in French. In the image, Davis looks away from the camera, her hair in her classic large Afro.  An outspoken Communist and advocate for the Soledad Brothers, Davis was charged with murder for her alleged involvement in a courtroom escape attempt. Davis went on the run and was placed on the FBI’s most wanted list. She was captured on October 13th, 1970, and her trial gained international attention. The image is similar to many others that appeared in other languages at the time, as support poured in for her around the world. Angela has a special connection to France, as she studied at Sorbonne in Paris during her junior year of college. Many other black radicals spent time in France as well, including James Baldwin. Similar to Baldwin, Davis left France because she knew she had to fight the forces of racism at home. This political work, ironically, led to her fame in France and around the world. In her autobiography, Davis explained her mixed feelings about the attention she received. For Davis, her case was not exceptional. While she was a political prisoner, all prisoners are political prisoners. However, her story helped people to see the injustice of the prison system as a whole. While this image shows the enormous attention placed on Davis in particular, it is clear that she is a symbol for a larger movement. Angela Davis is a symbol for all political prisoners, and for the black radicalism that shaped the 1960s and 70s.