Angela Davis, an educator, author and political activist for Black feminism, socialism and the abolishment of racial capitalism, spoke Thursday at the San Jose State Human Rights Institute’s final webinar in its three-part lecture series honoring Davis and her work.
Sociology junior Tiffany Yep said finally hearing from Davis after the previous events was “informative and powerful.”
Yep said she was inspired to attend the series after the reignition of Black Lives Matter demonstrations in San Jose increased her dedication to feminism and civil rights.
Two representatives of Silicon Valley De-Bug spoke briefly alongside Davis on police brutality and prison abolition. Silicon Valley De-Bug is a San Jose-based advocacy organization that voices stories and campaigns for community members and was a stakeholder for Davis’ series.
Sharon Watkins, a Silicon Valley De-Bug representative, said her 23-year-old son Philip Watkins suffered a mental health emergency and was killed at his home by the San Jose Police Department in 2015.
Watkins told Davis and webinar attendees that she has continued to make policy changes at the state level to expunge the laws and lawmakers who turn “blind eyes to police violence in our communities and across the state.”
Davis said she was happy to see the possibilities for change in San Jose.
She said the overpresence of police and the criminalization of young people in schools should be a primary focal point in the community to spark radical change.
“We all need to focus on getting police out of schools,” Davis said during the webinar. “They [police] are transforming the schools into institutions of punishment.”
Other contributors and stakeholders of the series included the SJSU César Chavez Community Action Center, the SJSU Mosaic Cross Cultural Center and multiple academic departments.
The series focused on Davis’s work during and after her controversial incarceration in 1971-72 after which she declared prison a corrupt and racist institution of punishment.
Davis said San Jose and the surrounding areas are significant to her because she was held in multiple jails in Santa Clara County during her trial.
The webinar concluded with a Q&A where many students and faculty members asked for Davis’ thoughts on the current state of law enforcement, police violence and possible alternatives to prisons.
She explained she’s unsure about what the exact solution may be to halt incarceration.
“The idea is to imagine and hopefully create a society that no longer relies on these horrendous institutions of violence and punishment,” Davis said.
She maintained that prisons are a product of capitalism and although the solution may not be clear, she said “we do not answer that question by imprisoning everyone.”
Davis suggested prisons simply hide the people who have problems and require assistance including those suffering from various life circumstances.
“If we want to understand why people engage in such horrendous crimes, the best thing to do is engage in the kind of research that allows us to understand the issue that needs to be addressed,” she said.
Davis also said with Vice President Kamala Harris’ victory, it’s important to celebrate the symbolism but continue to be critical.
The webinar ended similarly to the other two events with a call to action for students and community advocates.
“We are not suggesting that we need a better institution, we are suggesting that we need a better society,” Davis said.
