Professor and Activist Angela Davis Gives Inspirational Lecture

Distinguished Professor Emerita (UC Santa Cruz) and famous political activist, Angela Davis presented a lecture on March 29, 2025 at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, on the Penn State University Park campus. The lecture was cosponsored by the Critical Theory Workshop, the Philosophy Department, the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department, and the Rock Ethics Institute.

The crowd at the event was huge, approximately 300 people. The audience consisted mainly of students. Professor Davis addressed many of the serious contemporary political issues, while maintaining a sense of humor. The audience response alternated between laughter and standing ovations. Professor Davis inspired the entire audience and especially the students when she said that “student protests are part of your education. Through protest you learn how to see the world from different perspectives.” Professor Davis exuded warmth and friendliness throughout the lecture but especially when she responded to questions from the audience.

The event continued on Saturday, March 30 with a workshop on Davis’s thought and actions. The workshop featured a variety of speakers: Professor Ashley Bohrer (Notre Dame University), Nicole Yokum (St. Olaf College), Eddie O’Byrn (University of Illinois), Jasmine Wallace (Penn State University), and Daniel Loick (University of Amsterdam).