Announcer: Angela Davis, the Black American militant is visiting France to discuss the different manifestations and instances of Black Americans on TF1(Television Francaise 1). She speaks with Dominique Baudis about the problems for Black Americans.
Dominique Baudis: Yesterday, Angela Davis arrived from California to Paris. This afternoon she will give a press conference which will follow Thursday nights mutuality conference where the framework of battles which you lead, Angela Davis, during the years of civil rights…What specifically is this all about?
Angela Davis: Specifically the movement was about being in solidarity with Rev. Benjamin Chavis, who began the solidarity movement in North Carolina. The solidarity movement is becoming very strong here in France.
DB: And who is he?
AD: He is a young pastor, a leader in the struggle for civil rights in the south who was falsely accused of having participated in violence that had realistically been the KKK. He is in prison for 34 years and his comrades are condemned 292 years collectively. It is very very clear who are political prisoners.
DB: Lately you’ve been talking a lot about [Chavis], but it seems like the situation has changed for most people in the US. Especially during the last presidential election.
AD: During those years we began seeing a lot more racism, a lot more political repression in the US. As I said, there are a lot of political prisoners, and I would’ve been imprisoned at the same time as the others.
DB: One would have the impression of progress for Black people due to Black voter representation in the US. In the same sentiment President Carter essentially made declarations of foreign politics in favor of Civil Rights, he had taken the lead in favor of the political struggle.
AD: Yes, that’s true but there is absolutely nothing the U.S has done in defend Civil Rights. It is true that because of the Black vote, Carter is the U.S president, but as for the concrete actions to improve the situations for Black people, Puerto Ricans and other people of color; including the white working class — the upper class has done nothing during his presidency.
DB: One compares the situation during President Kennedy, would you consider it better or worse today?
AD: It is worse. It is worse, the economic situation is much worse now during the last 60 years, you see repression and expression of overt racism, including the KKK, which is growing rapidly in the U.S. Police brutality is also a big issue.
DB: However, [Carter] assisted urban cities more during his period than other presidents, and he’s dealt with the situations [race riots] in New York…
AD: These expressions are spontaneous frustrations, they are not movements, it is an explosion and right now we need to organize a movement in order to continue.
DB: You don’t feel alone in the political struggle?
AD: No, not at all, there’s a lot of political struggle for progress in the U.S; communist parties, democratic parties and this is why we encourage the actions done here in France, because we believe we will create a mass movement to change.
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