To kick off Women’s History Month, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, shared a video on TikTok celebrating a former Communist Party member and FBI fugitive, among others.
Entitled, "5 Golden State trailblazers to celebrate this Women's History Month," Jennifer’s video showcases activist Angela Davis, 78, who worked with the Communist Party USA and the Black Panther Party in the 1960s and ’70s.
Davis was linked to the purchase of weapons used by a man who burst into a California courtroom in 1970 in a bid to free inmates on trial there for killing a prison guard. The man, Jonathan Jackson, held a judge and juror hostage. In a shoot-out with police, Jackson was killed, along with Superior Court Judge Harold Haley and two inmates.
Davis was accused of providing the weapons used in the incident and was a fugitive on the FBI’s list until her arrest in 1972. She spent 16 months in prison before being acquitted of all charges.
According to Fox News, then-California Gov. Ronald Regan tried to remove Davis from her teaching post at the University of California, Los Angeles, because of her communist ties; however, students and faculty came to her defense.
Also featured in Jennifer’s video were transgender activist Isa Noyola, 43; labor leader Dolores Huerta, 91; lesbian activist couple Del Martin (1921-2008) and Phyllis Lyon (1924-2020); and writer Joan Didion (1934-2021).
As Didion’s photos were shown, a small "RIP" appeared in the lower left corner of the video.
Presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as "Women’s History Month" since 1995, according to the federal government. These proclamations celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields.
Jennifer is a Stanford educated filmmaker and social activist, whose work challenges gender stereotypes and societal norms, according to the California governor’s office.
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