>> Narrator Kapiolani Ching, UH student: Legendary
civil rights figure, political activist, scholar
and author Angela Davis, speaking before a
packed house at the Kennedy Theater on the
University of Hawaii at Manoa campus.
The event was part of Davis' month long term
as UH's 2016 Dan and Maggie Inouye Distinguished
Chair in Democratic Ideals, that included
guest teaching a graduate course on American
criminal punishment.
>> Angela Davis, Spring 2016 Inouye Distinguished
Chair in Democratic Ideas: I like to think
that the work I've done over the years, whether
it be academic work, or activist work is helping
to make this place a better place for all.
>>Narrator: Although the trademark jet-black
afro is now a distinctive grey, the passion
still burns inside of Davis.
A firebrand of the social activism and black
power era of the 1960s and 70s, she is a longtime
advocate for criminal justice and prison reform.
>> Davis: They say that freedom is a constant
struggle, freedom is a constant struggle,
oh Lord, we've struggled so long, we must
be free.
We must be free.
>> Narrator: Davis was once on the FBI's 10
Most Wanted Fugitives list and spent 16 months
behind bars before being acquitted.
>> Narrator: In the classroom, her goal is
to nurture students and teach them to question
the status quo.
>> Davis: I'm concerned about them developing
the capacity to raise questions, not only
large questions, but small questions as well.
Not only questions about complicated theoretical
issues, but questions about that which we
most take for granted.
>> Omar Bird, UH Manoa graduate student: To
have someone who's been a pillar in this academic
discourse to be here in the flesh and to be
here to ask a bunch of these critical questions
about critiquing the prison system and then
moving forward, it's really beneficial to
have her as part of the class.
>> Misha Matsumoto, UH Manoa graduate student:
It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
When else are you going to be able to have
one-on-one conversations with Angela Davis
and having her in class today was a phenomenal
experience.
This opportunity that's presented through
UH , it's phenomenal.
