2008 Woodie Awards
Davis draws 1,600 to BSC
Andy Leonatti and Caroline Tenenbaum
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What began as a night of reflection on the ongoing struggle against racism quickly escalated into a fellowship of black culture that Angela Davis, Ph.D., would never forget.
The Black Student Alliance's annual Black History Month keynote address, held in the Busch Student Center multipurpose room on Sunday night marked the pinnacle of noteworthy speakers recruited by the BSA, said event coordinator Andrew Chappelle. The event sold out, with 1,600 students and activists from across the nation in attendance. Entitled "Social Justice, Punishment and Democracy," Davis' address linked concerns of the black community with the worldwide struggle for equality and justice. Davis and actor Danny Glover spoke out about the injustices being perpetrated against minorities throughout the world.
The event was sponsored by The Saint Louis American newspaper, the Black Student Alliance, Great Issues Committee, United for Peace and Justice, the Saint Louis University Cross Cultural Center, The SLU political science department, and University of Missouri-Saint Louis.
"Wherever else I go I'll talk about St. Louis," Davis said after the event. "This will have a lasting impact."
The night began with a prayer led by SLU sophomore Evan Krauss. The Melody of Praise Choir with the Bare Naked Statues followed the prayer with a performance of the gospel song "Deep River."
Davis and Glover were treated to a standing ovation as they entered the auditorium.
Damu Smith of Black Voices for Peace and Karla Scott, Ph.D., head of the African-American studies program and a professor of communication at SLU, both acknowledged the significance of the night.
Smith said that there was "something higher in order" that brought Davis and Glover together.
After comparing the upbringings of Davis and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, Ph.D., who were both raised in Birmingham, Ala., Smith said, "If I had to choose who was going to help lead the country in a different direction, it's going to be my sister, Angela Davis."
"Saint Louis University has never seen this before," Scott said. "We have an opportunity to learn from two inspiring leaders in human rights."
When Davis took to the podium, she offered some advice to the audience.
"This is a privileged moment. Take advantage of the fact that we are gathered here," she said.
The long-time civil rights activist and former Black Panther turned prison abolitionist focused on the current state of racism, choosing to focus on the plight of Arab-Americans due to the war in Iraq and the war on terror.
Davis said that the "challenge to broader structures of racism are connected to broader structures of imperialist war." This was evident, to Davis in the "continuing war on the people of Iraq."
"The forces that presume to make the world free and spread democracy are spreading war," Davis said. She went on to accuse the government for promoting an attitude of distrust toward Arab-Americans and labeled the acts "practices of state terrorism."
Davis ended her speech with a call for a change in attitude about Black History Month. "The purpose of observing Black History Month is not to observe dates but to reflect on the knowledge so that we all might learn the meaning of freedom and democracy," she said.
Glover echoed Davis' thoughts in his remarks, referring to Davis as "my she-hero." He emphasized the importance of connecting the aims of Black History Month with a more universal cause by promoting the fight for equality and justice on a worldwide stage.
"People of African-American descent live in various places in the world...We must connect the struggle of black people to the struggle worldwide. We do not exist in a vacuum. Our struggle does not exist in a vacuum," Glover said.
Glover urged the audience to view black history month as a time to reflect on a goal beyond the advancement of the black community.
"We can't separate what has happened to black people [from] other people. We can't separate and celebrate ourselves or isolate ourselves. The question is, why do we look at this as singular? Out of fear or ignorance?" Glover said in an interview after the event.
Glover, like Davis, spoke of this international fight for justice conjointly with the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. King was more than an icon of black rights, Glover said. During his work with the civil rights movement, King began to champion an international fight for equality.
You saw a different Martin Luther King at the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 from the Martin Luther King who accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 1963, Glover said.
"This is not the King we talk about. This is a man who had moved...He connected the relationship of the trouble of black people with the struggle of all people for justice throughout the world," Glover said.
Glover, who had originally been scheduled to speak at the United for Peace and Justice Conference this past weekend, was asked to speak with Davis instead. The two have known each other since the early 1970s, when they fought for peace, justice and equality during the civil rights movement.
Smith and Scott moderated the subsequent dialogue between Glover and Davis. At the beginning of their dialogue, a question was posed about the transformative potential of art and culture and how artists such as Glover can use their art to advance social justice issues.
Glover recited the poem "I've Known Rivers" by Langston Hughes and praised the late actor Ossie Davis for his contributions to the civil rights movement.
"Ossie knew the connection with art and the struggle for social justice," he said.
Davis agreed with Glover's sentiments on Ossie Davis and dedicated the night to his memory.
"He used his art to render us all more conscious of who we are and where we are," she said. "Art does matter...art does make a difference."
Glover stressed the importance of artists bringing attention to issues of social justice such as the ongoing genocide in the Sudan.
The discussion of how artists used their art to fight for civil rights segued into a discussion about the differences between the civil rights generation and the hip-hop generation. Glover and Davis, who are children of the movement, said that it is important to nourish the relationship between both generations.
Glover said that "a sense of my world and myself comes out of that extraordinary period. We need to find ways to connect that period with today."
Davis followed by saying that it was important for the hip-hop generation to forge ahead and not dwell on the past because the racism faced by the black community today is different from the racism previous generations fought to end.
"[The hip-hop generation] can't keep attempting to replicate that movement. It won't come back in the same way," she said.
She continued by stressing the need to fight for gay rights, an issue which some consider to be a contentious issue in the black community. People think that it would pollute the meaning of civil rights to talk about gay rights, Davis said.
The event was wrapped up with a special presentation of proclamations to Glover and Davis by Missouri Rep. Yaphett S. El-Amin. The awards were in acknowledgement of Glover and Davis' contributions to social justice.
"St. Louis really needs it," El-Amin said, referring to the need for activism. "Take a message of activism back to your communities. It's time for you all as students to mobilize change."