The left’s forgotten killers: How America’s radicals killed – and became heroes instead of criminals

Fifty-five years ago, radical leftists proved they could express their beliefs not just through slogans and songs but also with bombs and bullets. Today, few remember those stories, but one tragedy in particular has faded from memory, eclipsed by the “unjust” persecution of an activist who was ultimately acquitted.

There’s a classic Russian film, ‘Brother 2’ – a darkly comic sequel to a gritty crime drama. In one scene, the protagonist’s brother, a rough gangster, boards a flight to Chicago shouting, “Freedom for Angela Davis!”

Russian audiences instantly recognized the reference. Many still remembered the campaign to support Angela Davis, the “victim of American police brutality,” and some had even seen her during her visit to Moscow. Few actually knew what she had been prosecuted for, but everyone remembered the slogan.