Angela Davis is one of the most recognizable figures of the Civil Rights Movement. On February 9th, I had the privilege of meeting her in person.

For Black History Month 2023, Michigan State University had the honor of hosting Dr. Angela Davis as part of the 23rd Annual Dr. William G. Anderson Lecture Series. The series, presented by the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine and titled “Slavery to Freedom: an American Odyssey,” gives members of the mid-Michigan community opportunities to interact with multicultural leaders from education, business, entertainment, industry, and government. This year’s speakers included Marley Dias, Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, and, of course, Dr. Angela Davis.

Davis is a professor, scholar, author, and long-time political activist who is well-known for emphasizing the “importance of building communities of struggle for economic, racial and gender justice.” She is the author of 11 books, including Abolition. Feminism. Now, which was co-authored with Gina Dent, Erica Meiners and Beth Richie and continues her work of popularizing the idea of a “prison industrial complex,” urging others to think about a world without prison systems.

During her lecture at MSU, which was co-sponsored by GenCen, Davis discussed a wide range of social issues, from capitalism to censorship to incarceration. However, one of the most important takeaways that she shared was the notion of joy in social justice work. 

As an audience member pointed out in the Q&A session following Davis’s lecture, the work of activism can be frustrating, discouraging, and exhausting. Many social justice leaders experience burnout because of their work. The audience member wondered: how can we avoid feeling overwhelmed and hopeless when engaging in this work?

Davis, who has been speaking publicly on social justice issues for over 50 years, responded with a chuckle. It doesn’t have to be that challenging, she said, if we use our strengths and find joy in our work. 

As an example, Davis spoke fondly about her close friend, the late Toni Morrison. Like Davis, Morrison was passionate about racial justice. She let her strengths as a writer and editor guide her, making history as the first African American female editor at publisher Random House and receiving countless prestigious awards for her novels, including the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Pulitzer Prize. Instead of trying to imitate the work of other social justice icons, Morrison was able to live a life of joy while making historic strides toward racial and gender justice by using her unique talents to bring attention to the struggles of Black women.

Davis also shared her philosophy that it is important to share stories of Black joy, even in the midst of darkness. She brought attention to the fact that American society only discusses tragedy and violence when teaching about slavery, but enslaved people actively fought to secure their own moments of joy. These hard-won moments of joy, according to Davis, are just as important to remember. 

Ultimately, it was inspiring to hear Davis explain that finding joy is a powerful way to resist violence. By exploring the ways in which those who came before us fought to find small moments of joy, and by finding our own joy in our everyday lives, we can ensure that our work remains meaningful and powerful. Stealing moments of joy allows us to continue the hard work of fighting for justice, sharing hope and strength with ourselves and our communities.

You can see the full lecture here: Link

Kara MacKenzie is currently a senior studying Professional & Public Writing and Women’s & Gender Studies. She is interested in the intersections between rhetoric and social justice, and hopes to one day use her communications skills to benefit a nonprofit organization. In her personal life, she is an intramural volleyball player, plant mom, artist, and avid reader.