In Conversation with Jelani Cobb, Davis Analyzed the Declaration of Independence on its 250th Anniversary
See images here (Credit: Gregg Richards).
Brooklyn, NY—On Sunday, May 31, Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) hosted renowned author and professor Angela Y. Davis for the Kahn Humanities Series, an annual lecture featuring voices in the humanities to share insight into the pressing questions of our time. Davis was joined by writer and Columbia Journalism School dean Jelani Cobb. In this special milestone edition for the series, Davis and Cobb conducted a close reading of the Declaration of Independence, coinciding with its 250th anniversary.
An activist, writer, and lecturer, Angela Y. Davis’s work focuses on prisons, police, abolition, and the related intersections of race, gender, and class. She is a founding member of Critical Resistance, a national organization dedicated to the dismantling of the prison industrial complex. In their conversation, Davis and Cobb focused on the definitions of personal and collective freedom in the Declaration.
“We imagine our lives and the possibility of our collective lives in relation to what exists, and, therefore, we look at these moments of promise that actually only apply to a limited number of people, and we demand an expansiveness of the very freedom that is narrowed in the document,” said Davis.
Established in 2008, the Kahn Humanities Series features thinkers, activists, and scholars with an important vision for our times to discuss timely, essential topics. Past speakers include court scholar Elie Mystal, commentator Frank Rich, novelist Amitav Ghosh, author Masha Gessen, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Eric Foner, former New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu and former ACLU President Susan Herman, among others. The 2026 Kahn Humanities Series: Professor Angela Y. Davis is made possible by the Kahn Endowment for the Humanities.
“The Kahn Humanities series embodies BPL’s goal to be a space for Brooklynites to encounter powerful ideas,” said Jakab Orsós, Brooklyn Public Library Vice President of Arts and Culture. “For decades, Angela Y. Davis has shaped American political thought, pushing the country to live up to its founding ideals of liberty and justice for all. We were honored to welcome her for this year’s lecture.”
About Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library is one of the nation’s largest library systems and among New York City’s most democratic institutions. Providing innovative library service for over 125 years, we support personal advancement, foster civic literacy, and strengthen the fabric of community among the more than 2.6 million individuals who call Brooklyn home. We are a global leader in the fight for the freedom to read through our Books Unbanned initiative, offering teens across the US access to the library’s online catalog. We provide nearly 65,000 free programs a year with writers, thinkers, artists, and educators—from around the corner and around the world. And we give patrons millions of opportunities to enjoy one of life’s greatest satisfactions: the joy of a good book.