Angela Davis is a cultural figure and a prominent professor who has successfully engaged in human rights advocacy. She is a controversial writer, but highly acknowledged for her work in fighting racial discrimination and sexism. In particular, her advocacy towards the plights of the African Americans and the LGBT community are of high historical relevance. Davis’ background and experience in her childhood where she was subjected to extreme degrees of racism motivated. She has been an influential member of prominent black rights organizations and was once enrolled in the Communist Party. Academically, she is a professor and was once a renowned lecturer at the University of California. However, she could hardly maintain this position as she often conflicted with the university management following her beliefs. Her proficiency as a writer is evident in several books that she has successfully published that have gained high attention globally. Davis lived in the 1950s, when racial discrimination and sexism were issues of great concern to the American community. Her experiences during this period qualify her to author about racism and sexism as it had a firsthand experience of these aspects. Being a black American woman, she practically witnessed the pressure and tormenting encounters created by racism and sexism. I feel that the Davis’ background and passion for advocating for the women and black Americans’ plight present as biases that have the potential of undermining the validity of her development of the idea of racism and sexism. With the tormenting experience that she had, Davis is likely to have developed a negative perception towards the people who seemed to promote racism and sexism. This is detrimental as there was the possibility of the author failing to approach the ideas of racism and sexism with an open mind. The author feels that her society is characterized by high levels of racism and sexism that are killing the high potential of the victims. She states, “When I decided to write the book, because I had come to envision it as a political autobiography that emphasized the people, the events and the forces in my life that propelled me to my present commitment” (Davis xvi).
Davis initially gives the idea of racism in her autobiography when she tells her childhood story. It comes clear that she got aware of the issue of racism in her society at a very tender age when she learned of her isolation from the white people. She explains that at an early age, she was clear that people were different. She states that started witnessing discriminative actions when four years old, the age at which she would hardly figure out the idea of racism. For instance, she remembers hiding guns from the authority and guarding them as a move to support the war against racism. She also tells of an instance where she witnessed torching of her neighbor’s house, which she came to learn later that racial prejudice motivated the action. Davis further develops her argument by citing the humiliating experience in Southern schools. The blacks were mainly obliged to attend these schools. She dreads the tormenting experience every time whites visited the school for “inspection.” The whites mishandle them while throwing racially sensitive statements to them. They regarded the black children as stupid and uncivilized. She explains that the white inspectors openly abused black teachers in the presence of the students. She recollects of one bold teacher who she recommends for his effort to reclaim his right by the demand to be addressed by the title “Mr” (Davis 94). An instance when she is jailed as develops the ideas of sexism and racism. She explains that when detained, she noted, “all the women were either Black or Purto Rican” (Davis 19). This is in line with the prejudiced attitude that blacks are criminals. She also describes instances of sexism by explaining that she can hardly attain some jobs because of her gender. For instance, she states that she often got criticism for taking up a man’s job (Davis 159). In overall, women are sidelined for the good jobs that are seen as the reserve of men. In the autobiography, Davis herself is the main character who brings out the ideas of racism and sexism. Through following her story and interaction with men and individuals of other races, one can clearly see the manifestation of these issues in the society.
“I know why the caged bird sings” is a prominent book has extensively explored the ideas of sexism and racism. The book recollects on the experience of a Black girl life in the 1930s. The author explains that gender and racism defined the life that the girl lived. She highlights various incidents where she faces problems because of her gender. This implies that isolating the idea sexism from aspects such as class is hard. Angelou explains that as they (black women) got involved in Civil rights activism, they learned that besides being victims of racism, they were also vulnerable to face elements of sexism from both the white and black community (Angelou 48). “To Kill a Mockingbird” by another work that explores the subjects of sexism and racism from a rational viewpoint. The book features the story of a girl whose father attempts to defend a black man who is fixed with the allegation of raping a white woman. Lee highlights the challenges and open discrimination that the black man faces from the public and the system, which are entirely motivated by stereotypical attitudes towards the people of color (Lee 36). All these books are in coherence with the ideas and assertions made by individuals promoting the themes of racism and sexism. However, all these books mainly use the traditional sense of evidence to support their arguments.
In conclusion, sexism and racism are controversial subjects that need to be approached from a rational and creative viewpoint. Davis in her autobiography portrays a strong feminist perception. Her feelings and arguments highlight the origin of the idea of black feminism as they align with the tendency to criticize sexism, racism and class by viewing them as being them connected. This is apparent when she challenges the sexist perceptions of the male individuals in the Black Power Movement. She mocks her society, including the blacks for promoting ethnic and sexist attitudes. She takes on the black men who are not willing to abandon chauvinist attitude thus continuing oppressing the women. She finds the irony that such black men are fighting for liberation from the whites while themselves they continue to oppress the women because of their sexist attitudes. In this view, the book has highly changed my position towards the idea of racism and sexism. I have acknowledged the need rethinking of these ideas from a personal viewpoint to ensure that I am not engaging in activities that are promoting either of them ignorantly. I have learned that sometimes we assume that we are open minded and liberal while we still have discriminating attitudes.
Works Cited
Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. , 2002. Internet resource.
Davis, Angela Y. Angela Davis-an Autobiography. New York: International Publishers, 1988. Print.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. 2014. Print.
