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Angela Davis and Sister Soulja

by Christina from Sheridan Tech

Flyer showing everything Angela Davis did.
Flyer showing everything Angela Davis did.

The first influential woman I choose for my Woman's History Month essay is Angela Davis. Angela Yvonne Davis influenced the country by becoming a professor. After being fired for allegedly joining a communist party, she fought in court to get her job back. She also allegedly supplied three prison inmates with guns that they then used in an escape attempt. Davis was charged with kidnapping and murder, but was later acquitted of those charges by an all-white jury. Davis was involved in many movements and groups for equality, including the Black Panther party for self-defense. She wrote several books and today she is a professor at the University of California in San Diego. Davis constantly challenged the law and never gave up fighting for what she believed in. Growing up, she faced major levels of racial inequality. Davis was a civil rights activist and understood from a young age racial prejudice. As a teenager, she participated and organized interracial study groups. Later in life she joined a communist party and the Black Panther Party for self-defense. Both parties advocated for violence - well, more as self-defense towards police and the government in general. She did not exactly participate in the movement but she was associated with many. She also was mainly involved in the Che-Lumumba Club, which was an all-black communist party branch. She is also a part of many organizations such as critical resistance. Davis was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1944.During that time the South was notorious for racism and discrimination. In 1963, several little girls were in an Alabama church one Sunday morning when the church was bombed by a white supremacist group the KKK. Their death had a major affect on the civil rights movement. Angela knew several of the girls that died that day which influenced her to take a stand. Her teacher also had a major influence on her beliefs when she attended the University of California at San Diego. She did not invent something that changed the world but she had been a part of several organizations. She has written about 9 books in her lifetime. She has traveled and lectured in all fifty states in the United States. She has even lectured in Africa, Europe, The Caribbean and the former Soviet Union. Her ideas, opinions, and philosophies have influenced people all over the United States and foreign countries. Yes she had made a major contribution to education and communism. She is currently a professor teaching the history of consciousness at the University of California. She also ran for vice president for the communist party.

Sister Souljah on the cover of a magazine (www.ebay.com (newsweek magazine))
Sister Souljah on the cover of a magazine (www.ebay.com (newsweek magazine))

The second influential woman I chose from the 1980's- present is Sister Soujah. She influenced the world by becoming an author and has wrote many bestselling books that have been successful selling over millions of copies. She was a student activist, a community activist, rapper and entertainer. She started and participated in many organizations worldwide. Such as the daddy's house social programs, and the African youth survival camp. These programs and organizations have helped hundreds to thousands of homeless children and taught children through academic programs. Through her music she shed light on issues pertaining to "race culture, sexism and politics "According to 'sistersoulijah.com". She did have a way of thinking that differed from the current school of thought. She opposed so called white America's miseducation of our black youths and minorities. She fought for what she believed was right in a society that opposed her views. Instead of just accepting the mistreatment of are black youths and police violence against them. Instead of being blinded by what was going on she helped fight by creating movements, through her music and books. She did participate in many movements. One, for example, was the international student anti-apartheid movement, which "helped to create a momentum, movement and fervor which liberated Nelson Mandela "according to sister souijah.com. She also was "a featured speaker at the million woman march" according to sister soujah.com. She did not exactly invent something in particular but she did create the African youth survival camp. Which was a "six week summer sleep away academic/culture camp for 200 children of homeless families" according to sister soujah.com. Doing so inspired many celebrities to follow in her footsteps. Her books and music draw attention to social issues still a part of our society today. She has made many major contributions. One of her major contributions happens to pertain to activism. She organized concerts and indoor rallies to draw attention to problems such as "racially motivated crimes, police brutality, and the miseducation of urban youth" According to sister soujah.com. Another major contribution is by becoming an author. Which she has written, and I quote, "5 national best sellers" and many others books that have been successful throughout her lifetime. Such as the coldest winter ever which happens to be her most popular book, a gangster love story, midnight and the meaning of love, no disrespect, a moment of silence midnight III, a deeper love inside; the Porshe Santiaga story.

Sister Soujah became influenced from growing up in "public housing projects and witnessed first-hand the effects that economic hardship and subtle discrimination had on her urban community" as stated in http://ic.galegroup.com/. Her home life and environment along with her mom, influenced her to want out of the unfortunate circumstance she was a victim of at the time. She was living in a poor neighborhood surrounded by other unfortunate African Americans and other minorities. Her mother influencing her to read helped her earn a scholarship later on in life. College would not have been an option she would have been able to do if she did not put in hard work in school. She became involved in activism later on in life when "Souljah made an important discovery while marching with other students through the predominantly African American city of Newark as part of an anti-apartheid demonstration. Observing the poverty in the community around her, Souljah realized: "These people can't free South Africa--they haven't even freed themselves!" according to ic.galegroup.com.

These two woman Sister Soujah, and Angela Davis have many similarities and differences between their purpose and influences. Angela Davis and Sister Soujah shares the same purpose which is to fight for equality. They both organized groups of people for protest when they felt the need to take a stand against racial injustice. They both wrote many books that reflected on their feeling and opinions on racial and social issues. Sister Souljah's books were way more successful them Angela Davis' books were. Sister Souljah wrote a variety of books, fiction and nonfiction, appealing to the masses of her young fan base. While Angela Davis wrote more about the revolution, and communism, things that were important to her at the time which she was a part of in her early years. Sister Souljah grew up in the east coast New York. Angela Davis grew up in the south in Alabama which is known for racism against African Americans. They both grew up poor so that influenced them to fight for whatever they believed in. Also to understand the value of having a good education which was important to both of them. Angela Davis grew up during the civil rights movement, she took part in the pro black movement that was going on. Her main influence was learning about her friends who were killed by a bomb in church one Sunday morning. Their deaths had a major affect on the Civil Rights movement and encouraged her to become involved but in a different way. She became a communist and chose the violent way rather than the nonviolent way. Sister Souljah was not raised during the civil rights movement she experienced racial equality while growing up poor. She did not become involved into later on in life. She then became an activist and through her music and books influenced people to take a stand as well. They both grew up underprivileged, witnessing first hand struggles of being an African American in a racist society. By growing up poor they both had the motivation to speak their mind freely and commitment to the education that would earn them degrees. Their experiences influenced them to write books and, in Sister Soujah's case, make music. They participated in organizations to benefit the society and give back to the community.

The steps I would take to promote the message shared by these two influential women would be the following .First, I would follow in their footsteps. Since I live in the South there is still a high number of young unarmed African Americans killed by police officers to this day. I would organize rallies to draw attention to the issues at hand to my peers. Secondly, I would join/participate clubs and organizations such as the new Black Panther party for self-defense. Clubs and organizations grow in numbers which will also show my dedication for change and others. Thirdly, I will participate in the current movements going on such as the Black Lives Matter movement. Any way I can participate to bring about change I am willing to cooperate with just like Angela Davis and Sister Souljah. These two women are important in history because they are outspoken when it comes to what they believe in. They fought for what they believed in not fearing the consequences of their actions. They put in hard work and dedication to become the persons they are today. Angela Davis for example after being fired for her political views and association on communism. She fought to get her job back and won - she did not give up fighting. "Hired to teach at the University of California, Los Angeles, Davis ran into trouble with the school's administration because of her association with communism. They fired her, but she fought them in court and got her job back". Sister Souljah spent time in Africa giving back to the community. According to sistersouja.com "She worked to build a medical center for families in Bindura, Zimbabwe. She worked with refugee children from Mozambique". Angela Davis however traveled worldwide teaching children in different countries such as Africa, Europe, and more. According to, "During the last twenty-five years, Professor Davis has lectured in all of the fifty United States, as well as in Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and the former Soviet Union.".

Bibliography- Sister Souljah: http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/bic1/ReferenceDetailsPage/DocumentToolsPortletWindow?displayGroupName=Reference&jsid=9f1b8fe37623bad49bc719e7cb6c0abc&action=2&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CH1000122477&u=bccc_main&zid=7b64d23ad852f89fe601860d3c147515 , http://www.sistersouljah.com/biography/ Angela Davis: http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/29505, http://feministstudies.ucsc.edu/faculty/singleton.php?singleton=true&cruz_id=aydavis, http://www.biography.com/people/angela-davis-9267589#synopsis

Page created on 3/28/2016 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 1/20/2019 7:34:14 PM

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Angela Davis - Angela Davis teaches at UC Santa Cruz