In a time where the question of who stands in solidarity with whom, amidst political oppression and global protest movements making headlines once again, James Baldwin’s “Open Letter to My Sister Angela Y. Davis” from the 1970s gains new relevance. This lecture uses Baldwin’s letter of solidarity with Davis as a starting point to explore the intricate dynamics of political solidarity and repression. The lecture will demonstrate that both the FBI and the KGB were deeply invested in silencing leftist intellectuals. The case of Angela Davis is particularly striking as it involves a leftist philosopher being instrumentalized as “our sister” by Baldwin, subversive artists from the Eastern Bloc, and Soviet dictators alike. This phenomenon was part of a global campaign that elevated Angela Davis to an icon of the fight against racism and political repression, while largely overlooking her solidarity with these same Soviet dictatorships and their satellite states. By examining subversive artist actions in Hungary and the complex propaganda machinery of the KGB, the lecture will highlight the dual critique against both capitalist and socialist systems. It will reveal how this historical solidarity campaign reflects contemporary Russian strategies to revive new “brotherhoods” with new “brother countries” in the so-called Global South, utilizing a vast network of cultural institutions and exhibitions. This lecture offers a crucial insight into how historical solidarity campaigns inform today’s geopolitical tactics, illustrating the enduring impact of past movements on current socio-political dynamics and the ongoing struggle for human rights and justice. //