Opinion
Angela Davis inspires Hamilton campus
By Njideka Ofoleta ’16
March 3, 2016
Tags opinion
Last Friday, Feb. 26, the Hamilton community had the distinct honor of receiving the legendary Dr. Angela Davis set to lecture in the chapel. Renowned political activist and author, Davis played an integral role in the Civil Rights Movement as an unapologetic critic of social situations.
I first learned about Angela Davis after watching the Black Power Mixtape, a film documenting the evolution of the Black Power movement in the United States. I found myself simply awed by the eloquence with which the young Angela Davis spoke on systematic oppression in our country.
As I watched her on the Chapel stage forty years after this documentary was made, I found her just as mesmerizing, if not more. While her arguments were more concrete and based in factual evidence, her conviction and intellectual prowess still shined through her words. In the documentary, Davis seemed clearly agitated as a result of the United States’ climate during the Civil Rights Movement. Like a fine wine, age had calmed and soothed her demeanor, allowing her to weave an intellectual discussion aimed at educating. As a young woman of color, I don’t see many representations of such women on Hamilton’s campus, so having Angela Davis here gave me hope. To see someone like myself who also had attended a predominantly white institution (PWI) and felt what it is to be silenced by the voice of the majority and effectively turn that time into a period of self-education was everything to me.
Listening to Dr. Angela Davis on that stage, I realized something. In 50 years, I could very well reach her level of academic prowess, gain her experience about the world and acquire the agency to assert my own stance on the issues of social justice that I feel strongly about, WITHOUT fear. Through the talk, I realized the power of intellectuality, self education and the hunger for knowledge. As America experiences a trend of anti-intellectual elitism and an exaltation of ignorance, encountering an intellectual like Angela Davis is truly an inspiration. She sparked an inspiration to consciously analyze and deconstruct systems of oppression that have allowed the Donald Trumps of our generation to rise to power.
I can’t say exactly how the greater Hamilton community reacted to Davis’ speech or what they took back; however, in talking to a couple people there seems to be some critique. Some said they thought she was a bit disorganized; others didn’t agree with some of her viewpoints. Yet there was a general consensus that Dr. Davis encouraged everyone to think critically and ask questions about the world in which they live. Reminiscent of the quote by George Shaw, “You see things and you say ‘why?’ But I dream things that never were and I say ‘why not?’” Dr. Davis pushed me to want to bring about changes in the world that many could never imagine. I hope that after this lecture, individuals from Hamilton’s campus acknowledge their own privilege and do their best to improve the conditions of every member of society, especially the most marginalized.
There were two types of people who came to the lecture on Friday: those who came to see the woman behind the name and those who came to be inspired and educated. In a sense, they are one in the same, but I hope that all left with a critical analysis of the “democracy” we live in. To the activists, I hope that there is a sense of renewal; I hope Angela reminded you of what you are fighting for, as it can be easy to grow disillusioned at the PWI that is Hamilton. I hope that she has encouraged you NOT to allow your voice to be silenced, as Hamilton can often be a place where the voices of those who try to enact change will often be silenced by other agendas. For the non-activists, I hope that a spark has been ignited in you, a spark that burns bright enough to motivate you to seek to change the climate in which we live. Angela Davis has succeeded in reminding us that if we don’t stand for something, we will truly fall for anything. Never forget that.