THE VFA PIONEER HISTORIES PROJECT

Dr. Angela Bowen

February 6, 1936 – July 12, 2018

“I wanted a life of my own. I wanted to live among women who were political and who were lesbians and who were all different kinds of things, who were feminists and who had politics and some kind of sense of the world.” – Dr. Angela Bowen

Classical ballerina, renowned dance teacher, professor in the California State University system. The first Black woman to join the staff of the Women’s Studies department at California State University, Long Beach. Active in the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays.

Photo 1. Angela Bowen (left), Jennifer Abod, and poet Kitty Tsui (Photo by Rosie Kar, PhD).  Photo 2. Dr. Bowen at Clark University, where she earned a master’s degree and a doctorate (Photo Credit John Ferrone, via Jennifer Abod).