Looking Black on today, Angela Davis, author, activist, and professor was acquitted of murder, kidnapping, and other conspiracy charges on June 4, 1972. The charges were related to courthouse shooting in San Rafael, California, at which Davis was not present.

Davis attracted national attention in 1969 when she was dismissed from her teaching job at the University of California at Los Angeles after admitting membership in the Communist party. The charges against her came about in August of 1970, shortly after 17-year-old Jonathan Jackson smuggled guns into a Marin County courtroom and armed three black convicts. They then attempted to escape by using a judge, an assistant district attorney, and three women jurors as hostages.

A shooting broke out in the courtroom and resulted in the death of the judge as well as two of the three convicts attempting to escape. Davis was connected with the case when it was learned that the guns smuggled into the court were registered in her name.