--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My name became known because I was, one…" description: "\"My name became known because I was, one might say accidentally the target of state repression and because so many people throughout the country and oth..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/angela-davis-3825_country_my-name-became-known-because-i-was-one-m_2027350.jpg" --- # My name became known because I was, one might say… ![“My name became known because I was, one might say accidentally the target of state repression and because so many people throughout the country and other parts of the world organized around the demand for my freedom.” quote by Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/angela-davis-3825_country_my-name-became-known-because-i-was-one-m_2027350.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/angela-davis-3825_country_my-name-became-known-because-i-was-one-m_2027350.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/angela-davis-3825_country_my-name-became-known-because-i-was-one-m_2027350.jpg) > “My name became known because I was, one might say accidentally the target of state repression and because so many people throughout the country and other parts of the world organized around the demand for my freedom.” [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Her fame arose from being a political prisoner, sparking global activism for her release. **In simple terms:** She became famous as a political prisoner, prompting worldwide support. Key Takeaway Recognize how personal oppression can mobilize collective action. Themes political activism human rights solidarity Mood determined hopeful Type historical political When to use this quote - prisoner rights campaigns - academic discussions - human rights rallies - media coverage Key Concepts civil rights state repression activism Questions to Reflect On - How does personal narrative shape movements? - What responsibilities do supporters have? A Different Perspective Her impact may be overstated compared to other activists. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Demand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demand/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Repression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repression/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I would like to assure you that there is no organization or any sort of repression against people who don’t agree with our actions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/i-would-like-to-assure-you-that-there-is-no-organization-or-any-sort/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [“If a country is governed with tolerance, the people are comfortable and honest. If a country is governed with repression, the people are depressed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/if-a-country-is-governed-with-tolerance-the-people-are-comfortable-2/) [Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/) > [“If a country is governed with repression, the people are depressed and crafty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tao-te-ching/if-a-country-is-governed-with-repression-the-people-are-depressed-and/) [Tao Te Ching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tao-te-ching/) > [If a country is governed with tolerance, the people are comfortable and honest. If a country is governed with repression, the people are depressed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/if-a-country-is-governed-with-tolerance-the-people-are-comfortable/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [ \[As in the case of\] alcohol prohibition, illegality has driven organized crime, sent countless people to jail, and killed many thousands. Repression does not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-branson/as-in-the-case-of-alcohol-prohibition-illegality-has-driven-organized/) [Sam Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-branson/) > [And why do we, who say we oppose tyranny and demand freedom of speech, allow people to go to prison and be vilified, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/and-why-do-we-who-say-we-oppose-tyranny-and-demand-freedom-of-speech/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [But we do not merely protest; we make renewed demand for freedom in that vast kingdom of the human spirit where freedom has ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-we-do-not-merely-protest-we-make-renewed-demand-for-freedom-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To-day a democrat of the old school would demand, not freedom for the press, but freedom from the press; but mean-time the leaders have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-spengler/to-day-a-democrat-of-the-old-school-would-demand-not-freedom-for-the/) [Oswald Spengler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-spengler/) > [People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they seldom use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/people-demand-freedom-of-speech-to-make-up-for-the-freedom-of-thought-2/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kierkegaard-research-centre/people-demand-freedom-of-speech-to-make-up-for-the-freedom-of-thought/) Kierkegaard Research Centre > [How absurd men are! They never use the liberties they have, they demand those they do not have. They have freedom of thought, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/how-absurd-men-are-they-never-use-the-liberties-they-have-they-demand/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [Those who are really convinced that they have made progress in science would not demand freedom for the new views to continue side by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/those-who-are-really-convinced-that-they-have-made-progress-in/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [“When there is a problem in the world, we say "What are they going to do about it". At which point they, who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-icke/when-there-is-a-problem-in-the-world-we-say-what-are-they-going-to-do/) [David Icke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-icke/) > [Given a choice, people will demand the freedom to communicate wherever they are, unfettered by the infamous copper wire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-cooper/given-a-choice-people-will-demand-the-freedom-to-communicate-wherever/) [Martin Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-cooper/) > [People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/people-demand-freedom-of-speech-as-a-compensation-for-the-freedom-of/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) ## More by Angela Davis > [I think in black communities today we need to encourage a lot more cross racial organizing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-think-in-black-communities-today-we-need-to-encourage-a-lot-more/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Well of course there's been a great deal of progress over the last 40 years. We don't have laws that segregate black people within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/well-of-course-there-s-been-a-great-deal-of-progress-over-the-last-40/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Often young black people are looking towards the alternative economies. They are looking towards the drug economy… the economies that are going to that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/often-young-black-people-are-looking-towards-the-alternative/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [I grew up in the southern United States in a city which at that time during the late '40's and early '50's was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-grew-up-in-the-southern-united-states-in-a-city-which-at-that-time/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [We have been basically persuaded that we should not talk about racism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/we-have-been-basically-persuaded-that-we-should-not-talk-about-racism/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [You can't criticize people for wanting to have a decent life or wanting to live decently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/you-can-t-criticize-people-for-wanting-to-have-a-decent-life-or/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [As soon as my trial was over, we tried to use the energy that had developed around my case to create another organization, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/as-soon-as-my-trial-was-over-we-tried-to-use-the-energy-that-had/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [There is so much history of this racist violence that simply to bring one person to justice is not going to disturb the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/there-is-so-much-history-of-this-racist-violence-that-simply-to-bring/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [I’m a feminist so I believe in inhabiting contradictions. I believe in making contradictions productive, not in having to choose one side or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/i-m-a-feminist-so-i-believe-in-inhabiting-contradictions-i-believe-in/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Kids these days are kind of going back to Tupac and Snoop Doggy Dogg as examples of people that stand for something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/kids-these-days-are-kind-of-going-back-to-tupac-and-snoop-doggy-dogg/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Prisons do not disappear social problems, they disappear human beings. Homelessness, unemployment, drug addiction, mental illness, and illiteracy are only a few of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/prisons-do-not-disappear-social-problems-they-disappear-human-beings/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [We are never assured of justice without a fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/we-are-never-assured-of-justice-without-a-fight/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Human beings cannot be willed and molded into non-existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/human-beings-cannot-be-willed-and-molded-into-non-existence/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [It doesn't surprise me that aspect of the black nationalist movement, the cultural side, has triumphed because that is the aspect of the movement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/it-doesn-t-surprise-me-that-aspect-of-the-black-nationalist-movement/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [Walls turned sideways are bridges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/walls-turned-sideways-are-bridges/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) [Explore all 118 Angela Davis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) ## More Country quotes > [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/) [Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [For the Scottish government, the practice of having meetings in different parts of the country is well established, but for the U.K. government, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/for-the-scottish-government-the-practice-of-having-meetings-in/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless of jobless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/there-s-no-reason-someone-who-has-fought-for-their-country-should-be/) [Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [It's very nice to be a rebel saying, 'I stand on my principles,' but if in fact that's not going to have any impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-grieve/it-s-very-nice-to-be-a-rebel-saying-i-stand-on-my-principles-but-if/) [Dominic Grieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-grieve/) > [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [That's what this country is. It's made up of immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bria-vinaite/that-s-what-this-country-is-it-s-made-up-of-immigrants/) [Bria Vinaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bria-vinaite/) > [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > ['Lovecraft Country' is reclaiming all these pulp genres for people of color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/lovecraft-country-is-reclaiming-all-these-pulp-genres-for-people-of/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/no-judge-can-stop-us-from-praying-for-our-country-and-i-pray-that-on/) [Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/) [Browse all 29,881 Country quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My name became known because I was, one might say accidentally the target of state repression and because so many people throughout the country and other parts of the world organized around the demand for my freedom.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Angela Davis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/my-name-became-known-because-i-was-one-might-say-accidentally-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Country" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/my-name-became-known-because-i-was-one-might-say-accidentally-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/angela-davis-3825_country_my-name-became-known-because-i-was-one-m_2027350.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/angela-davis-3825_country_my-name-became-known-because-i-was-one-m_2027350.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/angela-davis-3825_country_my-name-became-known-because-i-was-one-m_2027350.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My name became known because I was, one might say accidentally the target of state repression and because so…” — Angela Davis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Angela Davis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My name became known because I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/my-name-became-known-because-i-was-one-might-say-accidentally-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/my-name-became-known-because-i-was-one-might-say-accidentally-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```