The first Betty Davis song I ever heard was “Nasty Gal,” and I was floored. Here was a woman who sang with an authority and individuality deeper than I had ever heard before, who knew all of the influential players within punk and rock music — and who performed with platform boots and an Afro.
In the early morning hours of Dec. 4, 1969, Chicago police fired multiple shots into the home of a young Black activist and his fellow activists. Out of the 100 shots fired by police, only one was returned by the…