Angela Davis said that at a UCLA panel we were on together, and her words stuck with me. Her love for Black people and humanity at large fuels her; you can see it reflected in her impact on our world.
Her legacy is timeless; rooted in her truth, it encourages future generations to be courageous. As a child, her family friends were among the young girls killed in the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church. As a political leader, she was attacked, hunted and imprisoned; she dared to stand against a racist system. She’s seen and witnessed it all, and she continues to inspire, educate and resist oppression.
There are certain people whose names you hear a lot in hip-hop and rap songs. Angela Davis is one of them. Hip-hop artists are the leaders of culture, speaking to and for young Black kids around the world. Whom they see as legends and pay tribute to carry a lot of weight. Angela Davis stays on the pulse of what’s important. Last year, I freestyled for her during a birthday party at her home. She spent the night enjoying jazz music on her balcony, dressed in a Colin Kaepernick jersey.
Revolution is love.
Common is an Emmy-, Grammy- and Academy Award–winning songwriter and recording artist
- Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade, Undoing Constitutional Right to Abortion
- What the Supreme Court’s Abortion Decision Means for Your State
- The Failure of the Feminist Industrial Complex
- The Fight Over Abortion Has Only Just Begun
- Column: How Stereotypes Shape the Language People Use
- Everything We Know About Beyoncé's New Album, Renaissance
- Homes Made from Straw or Fungi Can Now Get You a Cheaper Mortgage in the Netherlands
- Going on Vacation This Summer? Welcome to the 'Revenge Travel' Economy
