Angela Davis: An Autobiography

Explain how Davis’s communist beliefs informed her work for Black liberation.

What is the overarching message of Davis’s political autobiography, and how does she support it?

In the preface to her autobiography’s third edition, Davis writes, “I learned from the mistakes we made as I learned from the steps we took where the outcome seemed to confirm the correctness of our analysis” (xvii). Explain and assess the reasons for some of the movement’s successes and failures.

Davis asserts in her 2021 preface that to understand the mass demonstrations that took place in response to George Floyd’s murder at the hands of police during the summer of 2020, a “much longer view of history is required” (xvi-xvii). How does Davis’s story and its place in US history shed light on Floyd’s murder and its aftermath?

How can Davis’s experiences help us to better understand the problems of the American carceral system?

What role did gender play in Davis’s prosecution? Provide examples from the text in support of your response.

Why did California’s case against Davis fail? Provide examples from the text in support of your response.

What makes Davis’s story a political autobiography? Provide examples from the text in support of your response.