--- description: Find out why Angela Davis is one of the 100 most influential people of 2020. title: Angela Davis: The 100 Most Influential People of 2020 image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9a1297963631e5d3/698a1255db298787c8265d18/time-100-Angela-Davis.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Sep 22, 2020 # Angela Davis by Common  Angela Davis photographed in Oakland, CA on Sept 8 2020 Angela Davis photographed in Oakland, CA on Sept 8 2020Djeneba Aduayom for TIME [Angela Davis](https://time.com/5880933/angela-davis-yara-shahidi-blm-activism/ "undefined") 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](https://time.com/5394093/16th-street-baptist-church-bombing-anniversary/ "undefined"). As a political leader, she was attacked, hunted and imprisoned; she dared to stand against a [racist system](https://time.com/5851855/systemic-racism-america/ "undefined"). 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](https://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2017-colin-kaepernick-runner-up/ "undefined"). Revolution is love. _Common is an Emmy-, Grammy- and Academy Award–winning songwriter and recording artist_ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2020/5888290/angela-davis/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2020/5888290/angela-davis/"},"headline":"Angela Davis","datePublished":"2020-09-22T19:18:14.000Z","dateModified":"2026-07-21T07:22:19.370Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2020/5888290/angela-davis/","keywords":["TIME 100","T100 2020","T100 2020 Icons"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9a1297963631e5d3/698a1255db298787c8265d18/time-100-Angela-Davis.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"creator":"TIME Staff","articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9a1297963631e5d3/698a1255db298787c8265d18/time-100-Angela-Davis.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2020/5888290/angela-davis/","name":"Angela Davis"}}]}] ```