Angela Davis speaking at Trinity University in San Antonio on January 13. (Photo by Antonia Padilla)

Notes on Angela Davis’ speech
By Maria R. Salazar, QSanAntonio.com, January 23, 2010

Two weeks ago I learned that Angela Davis would be speaking at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. I knew that whatever it took, I would be there.

I hung on to every word she said and felt sane. I was in an auditorium with hundreds of people who felt like I did and knew where our lives stood in the context of our complex collective herstory-history-theirstory marked by classism, racism and sexism.

As she spoke, I jotted down words to go back to later. Here’s the list in no order, just as I took it down while I listened to Angela Davis.

- Historical amnesia
- We have a bad case of collective historical amnesia

- Medical Industrial Complex
- We cannot have a health care system based on profits!
- We cannot have doctors think about dollars first and results later.

-We need to mobilize.
- If you want to make a difference u have to come together in movements.
- It was called the Freedom Movement

- The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein – a must read

- The U.S. has supported the worst dictators
- The U.S. government is not innocent

- The family is a violent institution – as defined today.

- The meaning of freedom is constantly changing…

-There are many mountains to climb

-The economy of icons

-Revolutionists we have to trust ourselves more. We know more now. Trust ourselves. Be creative when you do that revolutionary thing u do.

- Just get rid of the whole prison industry complex. It’s not working.
- We have this misguided concept that criminals are from one community.

- One black man in the White House does not cancel out the 1 million black men in the big house.

- Remember how we felt a year ago when Obama took office?

- Did we really think that electing Obama would dismiss us from any more organizing? The man cannot do it alone. We have to keep going. The opposition is relentless. Take nothing for granted.

- Just because Obama won does not mean we can say goodbye to the movement, to organizing. We’re not done.

- Transgender peoples in da house! Transgender and gender-nonconforming people are the most vulnerable in our prison system. The most vulnerable.

- Haiti is not a poor country, it is the most victorious country of this region. Haiti overthrew her oppressors! Why isn’t it spun that way?

- We cannot forget Katrina. We cannot forget Haiti.

Maria R. Salazar is a San Antonio attorney and activist.