On the final day of the Black Feminist Futures Conference, BFF Founder and Executive Director Paris Hatcher sat down for a powerful keynote conversation with legendary political activist, scholar, and author Dr. Angela Davis. Below is an edited transcript of their exchange.
Paris Hatcher: What’s something people might not know about you—or would be surprised to learn?
Angela Davis: I used to ride with the Oakland Yellowjackets. Since we wore helmets, nobody knew who I was—and I loved it! [laughs]
Caring for our bodies is revolutionary work. They carry us through the struggle. They deserve care, too. How do you identify politically?
I’m a communist—with a lowercase “c.” I’m anti-capitalist.
How were you introduced to communism?
Through my parents. They were communists. Capitalism in this country was built on slavery. You can’t fight for liberation and also cling to capitalism. Every aspect of our lives has been commodified and resold to us under the banner of capital. Health care should be free. Education—from kindergarten through post-doc—should be free. Housing, health care, education: These are basic human rights.
What are your thoughts on where we are as a country?
We’re living in a moment of fascism. One thing about America is that we’re never encouraged to look at the totality of history. Black feminists don’t just struggle for themselves—they struggle for everyone.
An identity is not just given. It’s developed. It’s forged. And it’s political. This country teaches us to focus on the “I,” but we are nothing without community. Where I grew up in the South, we had to depend on each other. Isolation is a byproduct of individualism.
When I went to jail in 1970, I was facing the death penalty—even though I was innocent. I had debilitating intrusive thoughts. But then I learned that people I didn’t even know were fighting for me. That changed everything. I stopped being afraid. My strength came from the community.
This is one of the worst political moments we’ve lived through. So much of what Black people fought for is being dismantled. But we don’t stop. We don’t give up. We must not.
There’s a tendency to separate voting from politics, to treat it like an individual act. But it should be collective. It should be long-term. We should have the power to choose who represents us—and not be limited to just two parties. Why not 17? Real political change in the U.S. has never come from elected officials. It’s come from mass movements.
Black people make up only 13% of the U.S. population, even though we’re part of the global majority. For mass movement building, should we be cross-organizing?
Absolutely. We can build with others and still be Black. Individualism—a byproduct of capitalism—limits our imagination. We have to think globally. Internationalism is necessary. Freedom doesn’t exist in a vacuum.
The war in Gaza must end. Israel represents a threat to the planet’s future. The struggles in Palestine, Congo, Haiti, Sudan—they’re all connected. We need real economic and social democracy in this country. Communism is about transforming global structures.
I learned about Palestine at Brandeis University—a small, private Jewish school in the Northeast. A progressive Jewish classmate helped me understand the occupation. The group Jewish Voice for Peace has always been vocal [in opposing the apartheid in Israel]. It was also during rallies on campus that I first learned of the Cuban Missile Crisis. I was born into revolution. Naturally, I supported the Cuban Revolution. One thing we don’t talk enough about is how racism and antisemitism are connected. During the Civil Rights era, both Black churches and synagogues were routinely bombed.
In 2020, we were on the verge of systemic transformation. People were finally recognizing that racism is structural. Then came the counter-revolution. And it was fast. We underestimate how global that moment was. People risked their lives during a pandemic. We had the world’s attention—but we weren’t prepared to seize it.
How do we bridge the intergenerational gap?
Older generations have to welcome change—and the energy of the youth. Young people have always been on the frontlines.
At 81, I’m amazed by the work, language, and insights of younger generations. In the ‘70s, we couldn’t have imagined multiple gender identities. There’s so much we got wrong. But you can’t be afraid to make mistakes. The only people who never make mistakes are the ones who aren’t doing anything at all.
Any closing thoughts?
I used to be involved in the animal liberation movement. The Omnivore’s Deception by John Sanbonmatsu is an excellent book. We’ve been tricked into believing we’re not animals. But animals live with the Earth. Humans—and capitalism—destroy it.
If you remember nothing else, remember this: Freedom is a process. It’s a gathering, like what we’re doing here today. Getting free is a journey, not a destination—and that destination evolves with time. We must not be rigid. What freedom looks like today is not what we envisioned in the 1960s.
We need to transcend difference. Don’t just build with people who look like you. Differences should connect and teach us. The only way forward is through movement—and movement is hope. We need hope.
Photo by Katie Sikora
