Angela Davis, a scholar and an activist of social justice and equality, presented a lecture on Tuesday evening entitled, “The Prison: A Sign of U.S. Democracy?” to a large audience in Sage Chapel. Presented by the Africana Studies and Research Center, Davis’ lecture discussed the paradoxical relationship between incarceration and democracy and examined the role of the prison system in the United States.
Davis, currently a professor of history of consciousness and feminist studies at U.C. Santa Cruz and the author of eight books, spoke about the institution of prison as a form of punishment as well as the lack of liberties present among the incarcerated. Prison, according to Davis, is a negative affirmation of democracy.