Soul Queen Aretha Franklin says she stands ready to go Angela Davis’s bond, “whether it’s $100,00 or $250,000,” if the courts will let her. Miss Davis, 26-year old former UCLA philosophy instructor and an admitted Communist, is being held in New York without bond pending extradition to San Rafael, Calif., where a Marin County grand jury returned murder, kidnaping and conspiracy indictments against her in connection with a courtroom escape attempt that took four lives. Miss Davis was accused of buying the guns that were used in the abortive attempt to free three prisoners.
Miss Franklin said, “My daddy (Detroit’s Rev.C.L.Franklin) says I dont know what I am doing. Well, I respect him, od course, but i’m going to stick by beliefs. Angela Davis must go free. Black people will be free. I’ve been locked up (for disturbing the peace in Detroit) and I know you got to disturb the peace when you can’t get no peace. Jail is hell to be in. i’m going to see her free if there is any justice in out courts, not because I believe in communism, but because she’s a black woman and she wants freedom for black people. I have the money; I got it from black people – they’ve made me financially able to have it – and I want to use it in ways that will help our people”
The 1970 “Jet” magazine article where Aretha Franklin offered to post bail for jailed scholar and activist Angela Davis. Franklin refused to bow to anti-communism and pledged her support for Davis. | Jet