Angela Davis 1/16/20 Woolsey Hall

While not strictly a musical event,  this lecture by civil rights, check that, rights icon Davis, started with an excellent acapella group singing We Shall Overcome. As part of a broader celebration of Martin Luther King Day at Yale, Professor Davis gave a fitting start to this tumultuous year. Under the unofficial banner People Get Ready, Davis spoke of meeting King, his opposition to the Vietnam war, and the societal vestiges of slavery that undermine freedom for people of color in this country. While trying to project positivity in the rights struggle, it is hard not to grapple with the specter of the" occupant of the White House" or " he who shall remain nameless" as a stain on the movement. Davis spoke for an hour to a rapt capacity crowd at Woolsey railing against mass incarceration as a continuation of our country's dark past. She commented on this administration's First Step Law, which on face looks like an attempt at federal prison reform but in reality is a lame swing at a Fox News talking point. 2020 will emphasize the war between good and evil, make no mistake, People Get Ready, We Shall Overcome.