>>> MORE THAN 50 YEARS AGO,
ANGELA DAVIS BECAME AN ICON OF
THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND
HAS BEEN PUSHING FOR CHANGE EVER
SINCE, EVEN ACTING AS AN
HONORARY COCHAIR AND FEATURED
SPEAKER AT LAST YEAR'S WOMEN'S
MARCH ON WASHINGTON.
NOW, HARVARD HAS THE
74-YEAR-OLD'S PERSONAL ARCHIVES.
ADAM REILLY TAKES US THROUGH THE
MORE THAN 150 BOXES OF PAPER,
PHOTOS, AND OTHER DETAILS THAT
SHED NEW LIGHT ON ONE OF THE
MOST RADICAL AND CONTROVERSIAL
WOMEN IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
>> IF YOU HUNKER DOWN WITH
ANGELA DAVIS' PERSONAL PAPERS
WITHOUT KNOWING ANYTHING ABOUT
HER LIFE, THE FIRST THING YOU'LL
PROBABLY NOTICE IS THE HAIR.
>> HER WEARING HER HAIR NATURAL
IN THE 60'S AND 70'S GAVE BLACK
LOVE FEVER ACROSS THE WORLD.
>> KENBY PHILLIPS IS THE CURATOR
FOR EXPRAIS ETHNICITY, BACK IN
THE LATE 60'S AND 70'S SHE SAYS
DAVIS OF UNAPOLOGETIC AFRO HAD A
PROFOUND SOCIAL EFFECT.
>> YOU LISTEN TO WOMEN FROM
OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD AND ALL
A SUDDEN THERE'S THIS KIND OF
THING WHERE I CAN SEE MYSELF AND
I LOVE MYSELF BECAUSE I CAN SEE
THE BEAUTY IN BEING WHO I AM IN
THIS OTHER WOMAN WHO IS BEING
WHO SHE IS.
>> BUT THAT HAIR IS JUST ONE
APARTMENT OF DAVIS' COMPLICATED
LEGACY, WHICH IS DOCUMENTED IN
THE 150 BOXES OF MATERIALS
HARVARD OBTAINED THIS YEAR.
IN 1969, DAVIS WAS FIRED FROM
HER TEACHING POST AT UCLA, AFTER
THEN GOVERNOR RONALD REAGAN
OBJECTED TO HER MEMBERSHIP IN
THE COMMUNIST PARYMENT
THE --
PARTY.
THEN SHE WAS ACCUSED OF
KIDNAPPING BUT IN PRISON HER --
>> YOU HAVE TO COMPLETELY
REVOLUTIONIZE THE ENTIRE FABRIC
OF SOCIETY.
>> SHE RECEIVED SUPPORT FROM ALL
OVER THE WORLD.
THERE'S THE FREE ANGELA DAVIS
CAMPAIGN THAT GOES
INTERNATIONAL.
AND SO SHE RECEIVED LETTERS
WHILE SHE WAS IN THE COUNTY
JAIL.
>> INCLUDING A HUGE NUMBER FROM
THE COMMUNIST BLOC WHERE
SUPPORTING DAVIS DOUBLED AS A
WAY TO EMBARRASS THE U.S.
AFTER DAVIS WAS ACQUITTED, SHE
MADE TRIUMPHANT VISITS TO CUBA
AND THE SOVIET UNION.
CEMENTING AN IDEOLOGICAL BOND
THAT STILL ENRAGES MANY
CONSERVATIVES.
>> AN AVOWED COMMUNIST AND
HARVARD HAS PROUDLY ACCEPTED HER
PAPER.
>> AFTER THAT JAB FROM RUSH
LIMBAUGH, SHE SAYS SHE RECEIVED
SEVERAL TESTY E-MAILS AND SHE
WROTE BACK, EXPLAINING THAT
ACADEMIC ARCHIVES DON'T WORK THE
WAY LIMBAUGH SEEMS TO THINK.
>> ARCHIVES ARE NOT AL YIES OF
THE PEOPLE WHOSE COLLECTIONS WE
ACQUIRE.
IF YOU HAD TO BUILD AN ARCHIVE
OF ONLY PEOPLE YOU ABSOLUTELY
AGREED WITH, YOU KNOW, WE COULD
FIT IT IN MY OFFICE.
>> WHAT THESE MATERIALS WILL DO,
SHE SAYS, IS GIVE FUTURE
RESEARCHERS A CHANCE TO EXAMINE
HOW DAVIS IMLENLDED BLACK
LIBERATION, FEMINISM AND
COMMUNISM.
>> A LIFE AND TIMES BIOGRAPHY
THAT TAKES THE CANVAS OF
AMERICAN HISTORY AND OF GLOBAL
LIBERATION STRUGGLES AND LOOKS
THROUGH HER EYES WILL BE A
FANTASTIC BOOK.
NOBODY WILL BE ABLE TO WRITE
THAT BOOK WITHOUT THESE PAPERS.
>> AND KAMINSKI ADDS DAVIS'
PAPERS COULD ALSO SHED LIGHT ON
OUR OWNER RA.
>> I THINK ABOUT THE 1970'S IN
CONNECTION TO THE CURRENT MOMENT
A LOT BECAUSE I THINK IT WAS THE
LAST POINT IN AMERICAN HISTORY
WHERE THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK
ABOUT SOCIETY REALLY FALLING
APART.
AN ERA OF HATE SPEECH AND
INCREASINGLY VIOLENT
DEMONSTRATION, VIOLENT POLITICAL
RHETORIC.
>> RIGHT NOW ALL THESE TERMS ARE
STILL BEING ORGANIZED BY SLES --
ARCHIVISTS.
BUT BY 2020 THEY SHOULD BE
ACCESSIBLE TO HISTORIANS AND
ANYONE INCLINED TO TAKE A LOOK.
