This Day in History: 1972-06-04

Angela Yvonne Davis, a black militant, former philosophy professor at the University of California and communist, is acquitted on charges of conspiracy, murder and kidnapping by a jury in San Jose, California. In October 1970, Davis was arrested in New York City in connection with a shootout that occurred on August 7 in a San Raphael, California, courtroom. She was accused of supplying weapons to Jonathan Jackson, whose actions led to a courtroom shoot-out with police, killing Jackson, a judge and two inmates. Her trial began in March 1972 and drew international attention because of the weakness of the prosecution’s case and obvious political nature of the proceedings. She was acquitted of all charges.