Did Angela Davis address educational curriculum, math, reading and writing? Did she consider the need for for the youth to learn trades in school? Was she concerned about jobs for young adults and the effects of the U.S. becoming a service economy rather than manufacturing economy? Did she discuss the importance of the nuclear family?
Angela Davis approached education, the economy, and family structures through a Marxist-feminist framework, meaning she focused on systemic oppression, class struggle, and liberation rather than standard educational policies.
Educational Curriculum (Math, Reading, and Writing) • Critique of the Standard Curriculum: Davis did not focus on foundational instruction like math or basic reading and writing curriculum. Instead, she criticized the standard educational system for reinforcing capitalism and racism. [1, 2, 3] • Focus on Literacy for Freedom: She viewed reading and writing through a historical lens, frequently noting that Black people historically valued literacy precisely because it was deeply intertwined with the struggle for freedom and emancipation from slavery. [4]
Youth Trades and Vocational Education • Opposition to Vocational Tracking: Davis did not advocate for high school trades or vocational tracking. She strongly criticized systems that funneled Black, brown, and working-class youth out of academic tracks and into vocational or technical fields, viewing it as a mechanism to preserve class inequality. Exclusion in the Trades: Her political organizing, including work done by her defense committees, highlighted how trade unions and vocational programs systematically excluded Black workers from skilled labor opportunities. [5]
Deindustrialization and the Service Economy • The Rise of "Global Capitalism": Davis wrote extensively about the decline of manufacturing jobs and the transition to a service and information economy. She argued that deindustrialization stripped working-class communities of stable employment, leaving young adults with low-wage, non-unionized gig or service work. [6] • The Prison-Industrial Complex Link: She connected the loss of manufacturing jobs directly to the rise of mass incarceration. In her view, the U.S. government used the prison system to warehouse "surplus labor"—primarily young adults of color who had been shut out of the changing economy.