MILWAUKEE — Civil rights icon Angela Davis spoke to a packed audience at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Tuesday, the same day the community learned of the passing of Rev. Jesse Jackson, creating a poignant moment for those reflecting on the ongoing fight for social justice.
Davis, a Marxist and Feminist political activist who became internationally famous in the 1970s after being accused of playing a part in an attempted prison escape where four people were killed, was acquitted of the charges. Today, she continues her fight, focused on the prison-industrial complex.
The event drew community members like Olivia Lopez, who came hoping to hear a message that resonates with a young audience.
"We are inheriting the baton, so that we need to drive forward so we're not stagnant, so that's why I feel like it's important for young people to be here," Lopez said.
UW-Milwaukee alumna Alexis Cheatham emphasized the importance of continuing to amplify marginalized voices.
"Being able to continue to uplift these voices, uplift people of color, women of color, the civil activists, the people that are really getting out there doing the work," Cheatham said.
Watch: Hundreds see Angela Davis speak at UWM as the community mourns Jesse Jackson
The timing of Davis's appearance, coinciding with Jackson's death, added emotional weight to the evening. Jackson was another pillar of the 20th-century civil rights era.
"It's just heartbreaking to lose another civil rights activist from that time," Cheatham said.
Lopez said she cherished Jackson's push for a unified fight against oppression with the founding of the Rainbow Push Coalition.
"We have to realize there's power in forces and unity and there's a lot of forces right now that are trying to drive wedges between a lot of different groups of people who have common struggles," Lopez said.
For Lopez, Tuesday was her chance to see a link to the civil rights era while still possible.
"It just reminds me to cherish the living legends like Angela Davis," Lopez said.
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