Angela Davis

Angela Davis is a renowned political activist, scholar, and author, and former Professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), where she taught in the Department of History of Consciousness until her retirement in 2008. She holds an honorary doctorate (DLit) from Goldsmiths, University of London, awarded in 2013. Davis began her academic career in 1969 as an acting assistant professor of philosophy at the University of California but faced political persecution due to her Communist Party membership, leading to her dismissal, reinstatement, and eventual dismissal in 1970 for 'inflammatory language.' A national movement secured her release after her 1970 arrest related to the Soledad Brothers case, supported by figures like John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

Her educational background includes studies in philosophy at Brandeis University (Massachusetts) under Herbert Marcuse and further graduate work at the University of California. Her research focuses on feminism, critical theory, Marxism, and the philosophy and history of punishment, with a persistent emphasis on criminalization, imprisonment, and the prison industrial complex. She co-founded Critical Resistance to dismantle the prison-industrial complex, blending activism with academic rigor.

In terms of awards, Davis received an honorary DLit from Goldsmiths in 2013. Though no formal advisees or grants are listed, her career reflects significant contributions to social justice through teaching and activism. She is affiliated with UCSC’s interdisciplinary Department of History of Consciousness, which aligns with her exploration of consciousness in societal contexts.