Campaigners say apology for Angela Davis award revocation ‘too little, too late’

US political activist Angela Davis delivers a speech during a meeting held in Saint-Denis, near Paris, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of anti-racism movement “Les Indigenes de la République”, on 8 May 2015 [Thomas Samson/AFP/Getty Images]

Campaigners have slammed a US civil rights institute’s apology for revoking an award from Angela Davis as “too little and too late”, reported Middle East Eye.

On Monday, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BRCI) said it “deeply regrets” how its decision to rescind the prestigious Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award from Davis has affected the veteran civil rights leader – but “stopped short of saying it would give the award back to Davis”.

“Many have rightfully questioned our selection process, which we vow to improve”, the BCRI said in a statement. “In hindsight, more time, conversation and consideration of diverse viewpoints should have informed our decision to rescind our nomination, and we were silent for too long afterward. Again, we accept responsibility and are sorry”.

VIDEO: US civil rights activist denied award due to support for BDS

But for many Palestinian activists and human rights campaigners, the apology did not go far enough.

Palestine Legal tweeted: “This ‘apology’ is too little and too late. If the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is serious about fixing this, the only meaningful first step would be to reinstate Angela Davis’ award”.

Jewish Voice for Peace, meanwhile, tweeted that Davis’s “legacy on human rights is incomparable”, adding: “No one could possibly be more deserving”.

BCRI “has never said why it decided to rescind the award, stating only that it received complaints from people and groups both within and outside of the local Birmingham community”.

However, Davis has said that “she found out on 5 January that the BCRI had decided to rescind its invitation on account of her ‘long-term support of justice for Palestine’”.

“I have indeed expressed opposition to policies and practices of the state of Israel, as I express similar opposition to US support for the Israeli occupation of Palestine and other discriminatory US policies”, Davis wrote.

Powerless Israel facing BDS – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

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