we have accumulated a wealth of historical experience which confirms our belief that the scales of American justice are out of balance.
Angela DavisThe food we eat masks so much cruelty. The fact that we can sit down and eat a piece of chicken without thinking about the horrendous conditions under which chickens are industrially bred in this country is a sign of the dangers of capitalism, how capitalism has colonized our minds. The fact that we look no further than the commodity itself, the fact that we refuse to understand the relationships that underly the commodities that we use on a daily basis. And so food is like that.
Angela DavisThere is so much history of this racist violence that simply to bring one person to justice is not going to disturb the whole racist edifice.
Angela DavisThe prison is not the only institution that has posed complex challenges to the people who have lived with it and have become so inured to its presence that they could not conยญceive of society without it. Within the history of the United States the system of slavery immediately comes to mind.
Angela DavisYou have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.
Angela DavisI think that has to do with my awareness that in a sense we all have a certain measure of responsibility to those who have made it possible for us to take advantage of the opportunities. The door is opened only so far. If some of us can squeeze through the crack of that door, then we owe it to those who have made those demands that the door be opened to use the knowledge or the skills that we acquire not only for ourselves but in the service of the community as well. This is something that I guess I decided a long time ago.
Angela Davis