1972 – Angela Davis Acquitted on All Charges
On this day in 1972, Angela Davis was acquitted by a San Jose jury of conspiracy, murder, and kidnapping charges tied to a 1970 California courtroom shootout. The activist had been accused of supplying weapons used by Jonathan Jackson during an attempt to free his brother, George Jackson. Davis was placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted List and went into hiding before being captured 2 months later. Her arrest and trial sparked international attention with the “Free Angela Davis” movement, and her acquittal was a major victory in the fight against racial injustice.
1973 – Arna Bontemps Passes Away
On June 4, 1973, Arna Bontemps, celebrated Harlem Renaissance writer, educator, and historian, passed away at age 70. Bontemps used poetry, fiction, and children’s literature to document Black life and resistance. As the first Black head librarian at Fisk University for 21 years, Bontemps cultivated one of the most important archives of African American literature and history.
