MS Davis: A Graphic Biography

In Ms Davis, the acclaimed French cartooning duo tell a story of this seminal, revolutionary, 1960s icon through an accessible graphic novel narrative.

Born in 1944 in Birmingham, Alabama, Angela Davis’ family fought in the civil rights movement against racial segregation enforced by the Ku Klux Klan. In 1968, she joined the Black Communist Party and traveled to Cuba, a journey which left its mark on her forever. In 1971, Davis was put on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted List because several Black prisoners whose causes she had championed used weapons she owned in a Marin County courtroom gunfight. She went to prison despite her protestations of innocence. The Black People in Defense of Angela Davis formed, and soon the entire world would know her story and demand her freedom. In 1972, she was found not guilty by an all-white jury. Since then, she has dedicated her life to the fight for justice.

The graphic biography also includes illustrated educational supplementary material that adds historical context about the various political organizations and programs referred to in the book, such as Cointelpro, an illegal FBI program dedicated to destroying U.S. political groups it deemed subversive.