11. Angela Davis
Angela Davis, a scholar and activist, became a radical icon in the early 1970s. In 1970, she was charged with aiding and abetting a kidnapping and murder after a failed attempt to free the Soledad Brothers, three African American inmates accused of killing a prison guard. Although she was not present at the scene, a gun registered in her name was used in the incident. After spending 16 months in jail, Davis was acquitted of all charges in 1972. Her trial and subsequent acquittal fueled debates over race, justice, and political activism, and she remains influential in social justice movements. More at The Guardian.
