Angela Davis’ MLK Commemorative Address captivated some, left others disappointed, and spurred some of the criticism her appearances have become known for.

The address was titled “Education or Incarceration: The Future of Democracy.” It was held on Jan. 29 in the Paul Creative Arts Center’s Johnson Theatre.

The annual commemorative address is the highlight of a series of events surrounding Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This year’s events run until Feb. 5 and are centered on the theme “One in 100: Behind Bars in America 2008.”

Angela Davis, a civil rights activist turned university professor, is uniquely qualified when it comes to discussing the nation’s prison system. She was incarcerated for 18 months and appeared on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted List” before being acquitted in 1972 of murder and kidnapping charges related to the failed escape of the Soledad Brothers—a group of African American prisoners in California. Davis is now a professor at the University of California Santa Cruz and author of several books, including, most recently, “Abolition Democracy” and “Are Prisons Obsolete?”

Prior to the event, most people didn’t know what to expect, and came hoping to learn more about the subject.

The 688-seat theater filled to capacity quickly with a diverse mix of students and members of the community. Bruce Mallory, who gave the university’s official welcome, noted it was the fullest he’d ever seen it.

Mallory acknowledged some consider Davis an extremist, but classified her actions as akin to the “creative extremism” called for by MLK. Davis’ past includes associations with the Black Panthers.

“I think she’s less controversial now than she was in her activist days—the ’60s and ’70s,” said Ruth Abelmann, social director of Residential Life, who attended Davis’ NHPR interview earlier in the day and decided to bring her high school-age children to the address.

Davis herself brushed off the “extremist” label, saying it made her feel she had something to live up to. She began by detailing the long process of making Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday a national holiday and expressed relief it hasn’t become another day for sales.

She was also quick to commenton the election of President Barack Obama.

“The words—this ‘President Obama’—they still have this wonderful ring to them,” she said.Davis recited statistics on the United States’ incarceration rate, noting the country’s rate of over 1 percent is the highest in the world, and the rate is far higher among minorities.

“I would suggest the enormous racial disparity is due to disparity in law enforcement surveillance,” she said.
Her enthusiastic speech called for change. “I say that we can seriously think about abolishing this system we call the prison industrial system,” she said.

Davis offered little in the way of solution to the “prison nation,” only highlighting the link between lower levels of education and higher incarceration rates. “One of the major social problems in this country is the deterioration of education,” she said.
With the new presidential administration announcing a focus on education, she hopes it will address prisons, as well. “If there’s a commitment to fix the education system… there must also be a commitment to abolish the prison system,” she said.

She called the connection between education and incarceration a “vicious circle,” with prisons taking money away from education, causing more people to wind up in prison, which causes even more money to be taken from education.
“The prison as a punishment institution has grown and expanded … It has become the only solution for problems it has helped to create,” she said.

Davis also acknowledged the difficulties of transgender people in prison. She also voiced support for the Israeli peace process, called for abolition of the death penalty and discussed how global capitalism has harmed countries in Africa and Latin America.

The audience applauded frequently when Davis mentioned Barack Obama’s name and responded positively to criticism of former President George W. Bush. Outside the theater following the address, however, reactions were more varied. Some left feeling exhilarated by what they had heard.

“I thought that she was as articulate and as passionate as ever and that she was 100 percent right in all she said,” said Elaine Rizzo, a local community member who attended the event.

“It’s just logic,” said graduate student Rafeal Prieto. “You see what’s around in the world and you react to it. It’s good to see there are still people around who can think objectively.”

Others expressed disappointment in the content of the speech.

“I was hoping for something a bit more focused on her work concerning prisons and the prison industrial system,” said UNH senior Nathaniel Coghlan.

“I feel like there was too much blasé info about the Obama election and not enough focus on deeper issues that the lecture was supposed to be about,” said senior Jamie Langhoff.

Some were even more negatively affected.

“I got up and left when Angela was referring to Rick Warren’s invocation,” said 70-year-old J.D. Clarke.

Davis said she was disappointed with Warren’s invocation, particularly its repeated mention of “Jesus,” which she felt should have been more inclusive.

“When did God become obsolete?” said Clarke. “That is a form of prejudice just as strong as anything that was directed to her.”