Letter for Opening Statement for Davis Defense:
The year is 1972 and as a scholar in a public college, you have been asked by Angela Davis’s defense team to write a letter of support for her case. They will incorporate your letter into their opening statement. Your letter must convince an all-white jury that Davis is being persecuted for her political ideas. This is sure to be the trial of the century and one of the most important court cases of all time. Do not list the details of the case; instead focus on the following:
How Davis’s life and case influence a student like you? Be self-reflective and provide specific examples from your own life experiences.
What are the intersections of race, class, and gender in Davis’s life and work up to the trial in 1972? How does she represent black feminism/womanism?
What is the relevance of womanism to general society or those who do not identify as black women?
Davis’s career and its connections to past activist movements. Be as specific as possible.
Any laws, court cases, or other similar situations up to the trial that related to the issues relevant to Davis’s case.
