Activist Angela Davis to speak at Pittsburgh's August Wilson Center

Writer, activist and educator Angela Davis will be featured Feb. 21 as part of the August Wilson Center's "Truthsayer" speaker series.

Davis grew up in Alabama before attending Brandeis University in Massachusetts and the University of California in San Diego, where she became associated with the Black Panther Party and worked with the Che-Lumumba Club, an all-black branch of the Communist Party.

Davis was jailed in the 1970s after being charged with murder in connection with a bloody courtroom escape attempt during the trial of George Lester Jackson, who was accused of killing a prison guard at Soledad Prison in California. She was ultimately acquitted, in June 1972.

Below, Davis discusses her court case in the documentary "The Black Power Mixtape":

Davis taught courses at UCLA and UC-Santa Cruz before retiring in 2008.

Known for books such as "Women, Race & Class," Davis is a longtime advocate for gender equity, prison reform and alliances across color lines.

Davis is scheduled to speak at 8 p.m. Feb. 21 at the center, 980 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh. Tickets are $33.25, and are available at TrustArts.org .

Below is video of Davis' 2006 talk at the UC-Davis campus, "How Does Change Happen?":

Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-850-2862, pvarine@tribweb.com or via Twitter @MurrysvilleStar.