The Resurrection of Stanley "Tookie" Williams

By focusing on the notorious co-founder of the Los Angeles street gang, The Crips, F/X's Redemption, an original film, asks us if we believe that a death row inmate can be redeemed.

By Ronda Racha Penrice
Africana.com

As Christians everywhere gather for Easter this weekend to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Stanley "Tookie" Williams, a death row inmate and co-founder of the notorious Crips street gang, will sit in his cell. His agenda for the day, like every other day, will be atonement.

Anyone who tunes into Redemption, the F/X original film starring Jamie Foxx and based on Williams's life, renunciation of gang violence and his fervent dedication to deterring children away from gang life, will more than likely take it for granted that they're exercising a privilege that Williams lost twenty-three years ago. This reality of prison life and, more specifically, life on death row, doesn't get much play in the hip hop music that has glorified, be it intentional or unintentional, the gangster lifestyle Williams helped create.

"First and foremost, I always tell people that I never experienced an epiphany or anything like that. I had to undergo years and years of soul-searching and edification to battle my inner demons."
Prison is not supposed to be luxurious. Crime should not pay. There is little to debate here. But when the question of whether a person who has walked a path of evil for nearly half of his life can really change arises, the debate gets heated. It is the primary thesis of Redemption and the ongoing life story of Williams' battle against execution. The irony of his increasingly probable day of reckoning is his claim that he is not guilty of the four murders of which he has been sentenced. Now, of course, as the saying goes, everyone in jail is innocent. But Williams isn't claiming sainthood. He is simply saying that he did not commit these four crimes.

According to the January 11, 2004 Los Angeles Times article "Made-for-TV Atonement" by Bob Baker, in 1979 Williams was arrested for two robbery-murder incidents. He was accused of murdering Albert Owens, a 7-Eleven clerk in Whittier, California, as well as Los Angeles motel clerk Yen-I Yang, his wife and their adult daughter. "Lacking eyewitnesses," writes Baker, "prosecutors relied on the testimony of several people who said Williams told them about the crimes — in one case, laughingly describing Owens' last breaths."

The sketchiness of Williams' conviction is not why F/X made this film. It is what Williams has done during his time on death row that is most compelling. Since 1996 he has penned nine books against gang violence. Titles such as Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence, Gangs and Wanting to Belong and Life in Prison are the backbone of the curriculum of the Internet Project for Street Peace, which Williams conceived. He also has his own web site, Tookie's Corner. According to some people who work closely with children, Williams' work has stirred countless youths across the globe away from gang violence. His message has been so powerful that he has been nominated for the Nobel Prize seven times — four times for the Peace prize and three times for the Literature prize.

To read the rest of this article, please click here.

Comments

[indi]

R.I.P Tookie. its a shame the world had to lose you

[marcia mendonça]

sinto muito realmente!
sei que errou ,mais fez tudo e demoostrou que estava arrependido, mais nós humanos que o julgou não deus!
concerteza deus não o matava!

[Stay Crippen]

I Think they should have let him lived. I used to be a Crip. I shoot at people and got into fight. He wrote books too. now who would do something like that in jail. RIP The Biggest Baddest & the Hardest CRIP TOOKIE. Now you

[karps]

Read: Innocent Man Executed in Texas by Lise Olsen "Common Dreams News Center"

Same story different man.

[karps]

First of all Stanley WAS INNOCENT! Geronimo Pratt sat in a prison for 27 years for the murder of a white woman & attempted murder of her husband that he did not commit. But according to the LAW and the MEDIA they had all this OVERWHELMING evidence against him! PLEASE!!! The truth was: EVERYONE, the police, the witnesses, the jailhouse informants, the prosecution, EVERYONE OF THEM LIED. People were saying he should spend the rest of his life in prison - if the death penalty were in law at the time of his sentencing he would be a INNOCENT dead man just like "TOOKIE". You should not believe everything you see/hear on the news. The powers that be can make Mother Theresa look guilty! To Sonya, Karen, and others who think as they do: you cannot make one man responsible for the murders committed by others. There have been thousands of gangs in this country. Crips aren't the only gangs. Gangs didn't start with Tookie. Our government is the No. 1 gang in this Country! Responsible for hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of killings! To Ashley, and others who think like her, anyone who opposes the death penalty would tell you that they'd feel the same way regardless of the race of the victims/accused involved. I doubly oppose the death penalty because its biased, unfair and racist! With Black men given death at a higher rate than others. There have been over two dozen executions where the defendant was innocent, or more than likely innocent of the crimes they were convicted of. There have been close to 200 inmates released from death row because of DNA and new evidence of their innocense. Jeffrey Dahmer, who ate black people was as sick as they come, I wouldn't have wanted him executed. Especially if not having the death penalty will keep a innocent black man who has been framed by the police from getting a sentence of Death by the State! Do your research people - search info regarding the death penalty on the web. Find out for yourself how racist, crooked, evil and biased it is. Thanks Crystal for your comments. Tookie is guilty of not being a snitch and it cost him his life. The police even said he wouldn't cooperate with the investigation - READ BETWEEN THE LINES. An innocent man was legally murdered in the early morning hours of Tuesday, December 13, 2005 - because the media kept showing the face of a very white, very young, Albert Owens, in his military uniform - Read Between the Lines. Mr. Owen's widow Linda Owens by the way - supported Tookie. But you never saw/heard that on any news channel! Again, Read Between the Lines! All you saw was the old step mother whose for the death penalty. What about the other victims - the Yangs? Their photos were never shown! I guess they didn't matter as much. But if they were white - they'd be the poster family for the death penalty! I feel for every murdered victim in this tragedy and their families. I feel for the real killer, who has to live with the fact that an innocent man was murdered for crimes he/she is responsible for. Read all the facts pros and cons before commenting. Those who aren't familiar with the case, shouldn't comment at all. Another tid bit of info - Tookie didn't make a profit from his book sales, all proceeds if any (the books didn't sell very well) went to programs for at risk youth. And Tyronel and others like you, you're obviously easily influenced by lies! I mentioned the following cite before - here it is again:

www.streetgangs.com/magazine/120605cantu.html The story of an innocent man that was executed.

[karps]

Go to the following cite - all of you who believe in the death penalty and Tookie's guilt - and you'll see why and how an INNOCENT man can be framed

http://www.streetgangs.com/magazine/120605cantu.html

[george]

We all have short tedious and unremarkable lives and we lust for blood. Own upto it. If theres car accident , we all want to see. Traffic backs up for miles. Tookie had alot of hard earned cash spent on his life. While others work and live like rats. Thats all it comes down to is money. His death could of made millions if it was televised. Even better if they had a death row inmate death fight televised. MONEY MONEY.

[Tristy Washington]

Tookie Williams might have been a gangater, Which I believe that ,but all those killing they say he did I don't believe.I just don't understand some people in this world just because he started a crip gang don't mean he did all thoses killing in order for it to be a crip gang it had to be a blood gang you never know who killed all those people it could have been another set of gang member that did that and I feel that if Tookie did that he probably would had try to hide out get out of state,but he didn't. its good he try to stop the crips, but I tell you the truth it want stop because the bloods going to try to take over and the crips want let it happen.

[jan]

REMEMBER HE DIDNT KILL MOSES NOR DAVID FOR TAKING LIVES.DAVID COMMITTED A COLD CACULATD MURDER AND STILL WAS THE CHOSEN ONE.............

God was VERY ANGRY WITH DAVID. For not only committing adultery, but for murdering Bathsheba's husband. God didn't kill David, but he did kill David's child he had with Bathsheba. So David DID suffer consequences of his actions.

[justus]

Firstoff the commandment that GOD gave that say's thou shalt not kill, is a translation of thou shalt not murder. Just as Jesus himself and the two thieves ( not murders but thieves ) were excuted, Jesus said render onto Ceaser that which is Ceasers and God that which belongs to God. The Bible is very clear that we are to obey the laws of man unless they dirrectly conflict with Gods laws and capital punishment is the law of the land and doesn't conflict at all with GODs laws. Please dont try and say Jesus says to forgive or turn the other cheek because if you read that in the correct text you will see it dosn't mean to not execute someone. I see people quting Gods Words when its convient, yet you run around and live your lives like Satan himself. I always laugh when I hear gangbangers talking about Jesus or tatooing themselves with images of him. If you walk in his light you will live as he lived, if you bang in the day and live as satan then you indeed shall do as Jesus himself said, " live by the sword die by the sword! " Tookie has had 27years to prove he's not guilty and hadn't been able to do so. Now is the time Tookie needs to make sure he's right with God, from what I understand Minister ( of what ) Farakahn has converted him to isleam. I hope not, tookie you will see Jesus face to face in a few days, I hope for your sake that you except Jesus alone or you will forever be condemed. There is but one TRuth and Jesus is it! To you whom say that he has served his time or that he's a changed man, I ask how do you know? Even if he is he is still guilty in a court of law for the killing of 4 people. He must stand and be executed for his crimes against the innocent. Did the people he murdered have a second chance? NO! Good bye tookie I hope you make your peace with Jesus and then you will be truly forgiven, forget what Farakhan tells you, his name says it all ( Con ) he is a con man and keeps his people living in pain and darkness, with all the great Black Christians you people have why would you follow a hate mongral? Dr King was one of the greatest leaders black or white, look for those he would trust then and only then trust them by testing the word..

[Edward Miguel.Quinonez-Guzman]

I just want to say that I feel that Tookie should, get a fair case and be given the chance to live and not die. The death penalty is a harsh, cruel and unusual punishment and no one has the right to kill a human being, not even the system. Tookie did touch my life through all his books that I read of him, he is a true role modle.

[teshia]

Im not surprised that so many feel Tookie should remain on death row,but i feel the man has paid his debt to society.people do change.How many of you are the same person mentally that you were when you were a youngster?There are lots of things i've done WHEN I WAS YOUNGER that i would not dare do now.i have seen so many who were once gang members/bangers made the crossover and now they live crime free productive lives............we live and we learn we ARE ALL WITNESS TO THE FACT THAT PEOPLE DO CHANGE.........i agree with what another poster said in her post.THE DEATH PENALTY IS LEGALIZED MURDER...........THERE IS NO CLAUSE IN THE COMMANDMENT THOU SHALT NOT KILL......IT DOES NOT SAY THATS ITS OK IF THE PERSON HAS TAKEN ANOTHER'S LIFE.........THE BIBLE TEACHES FORGIVENESS AND WE ALL MUST HAVE THAT IN OUR HEARTS.WE EVEN HAVE TO FORGIVE THOSE WHO HAVE HARMED US OR OUR FAMILIES........IT IS A HARD THING TO FORGIVE SOMEONE WHO HAS TAKEN THE LIFE OF A LOVED ONE..........I KNOW BECAUSE I BEEN THERE............BUT IF JESUS CAN FORGIVE ONE WHO ASKS OF MURDER.why is it so hard for us to?.......REMEMBER HE DIDNT KILL MOSES NOR DAVID FOR TAKING LIVES.DAVID COMMITTED A COLD CACULATD MURDER AND STILL WAS THE CHOSEN ONE.............THAT SAY'S TO ME THAT WHEN JESUS FORGIVES YOU ..IT MAKE NO DIFFERENCE WHAT MAN DOES,SAY OR THINKS.IF ONE HAS TURNED HIS/HER SELF TO CHRIST EVEN IF HE/SHE IS PUT TO DEATH THERE IS STILL VICTORY FOR THEM............A VICTORY ALOT OF PEOPLE WHO SET UP IN GLASS HOUSES AND THROUGH STONES WITH NEVER KNOW....................IRONIC HUH

[michael harris]

let the man go. he's served his time. cant ya'll see he's changed.

[Justus]

Tookie you did the crime, you had 27 years to prove you didnt do it. I hate to say it but it's time to pay for your crimes of murder! The four people that you killed have waited long enough. Its time to meet God and he will know the truth either way. I hope and pray that you have enough guts to tell your crip pals not to kill once you are put to death. Your death can bring peace or it bring more bloodshed in your name! I know one thing I wouldnt want more deaths added to my name when I meet God..To the crips who are saying that they will kill if Tookie is executed I say to you, stop befor you start something you dont want..People are tiered of your hoods killing children and unarmed people..Cowards are what you are!!

[NOmore]

There is no way Stanley "Tookie" Williams should get off death row. Not by a long sht. He murdered 4 people over a total of approximately $220.00 Claiming that he could "leave no witnesses", he's "killing all the whites", saying that the Ying family were a bunch of Budda-heads". There was no ligit reason for killing these people. All shots were close range, "tookie" has made no public apology, hes claimed to have killed cops, and accused of ordering murders in prison. HE hasn't changed one bit. In my opinion, he's faking in order to try and get off death row. He should have been put to sleep a long time ago.

[jan]

1) from the beginning Tookie has appealed his conviction. Only him and God know whether he committed the crime. We DO know that he is still appealing indicating he had
NOT publicly asked forgivness.

2) What message is he teaching to the children by asking for clemensy? That if they are being punished for murdering someone that all they have to do is a few good deeds to get off deathrow? Tookie's death itself will be a lesson in life that
children who are in gangs, comtemplating joining a gang need to think about. There
are repurcussions to your actions. I might feel differently, except he has from the beginning never admitted to killing 4 people, and to this day is still trying to appeal a court's decision. Redemption also comes with a price.

[j. muhammad]

mr. stanlyt. williams needs to redeem him self by paying for the 4 lifes he took. let him stay alive and pay by giving back what he help take. others lives has been tooken but to kill him will not bring back nothing.

[grandpa stole bets]

Program on the emergence of civilization.

"14 species of large animals capable of domesitcation in the history of mankind.
13 from Europe, Asia and northern Africa.
None from the sub-Saharan African continent. "
Favor.
And disfavor.

They point out Africans’ failed attempts to domesticate the elephant and zebra, the latter being an animal they illustrate that had utmost importance for it's applicability in transformation from a hunting/gathering to agrarian-based civilization.

The roots of racism are not of this earth.

Austrailia, aboriginals:::No domesticable animals.

The North American continent had none. Now 99% of that population is gone.

AIDS in Africa.

Organizational Heirarchy/Levels of positioning.
Heirarchical order, from top to bottom:

1. MUCK - perhaps have experienced multiple universal contractions (have seen multiple big bangs), creator of the artificial intelligence humans ignorantly refer to as "god"
2. Perhaps some mid-level alien management
3. Evil/disfavored aliens - runs day-to-day operations here and perhaps elsewhere

Terrestrial management/positioning:

4. Chinese/egyptians - this may be separated into the eastern and western worlds
5. Romans -
6. Mafia - the real-world 20th century interface that constantly turns over generationally so as to reinforce the widely-held notion of mortality
7. Jews, corporation, women, politician - Evidence exisits to suggest mafia management over all these groups.

Movies foreshadowing catastrophy
1985 James Bond View to a Kill 1989 San Francisco Loma Prieta earthquake.

Our society gives clues to the system in place. We all have heard the saying "He has more money than god." There is also an episode of the Simpsons where god meets Homer and says "I'm too old and rich for this."

This is the system on earth because this is the system everywhere.

I don't want to suggest the upper eschelons are evil and good is the fringe.

But they have made it abundantly clear that doing business with evil (disfavored) won't help people. They say only good would have the ear, since evil is struggling for survival, and therefore only the favored could help.

The clues are there which companies are favored and which are disfavored, but they conceal it very hard because it is so crucial.

I offer an example of historical proportions:::

People point to Walmart and cry "anti-union".
Unions enable disfavored people to live satisfactorly without addressing their disfavor. This way their family's problems are never resolved. Without the union they would have to accept the heirarchy, their own inferiority.
Unions serve to empower.
Walmart is anti-union because they are good. They try to help people address and resolve their problems by creating an enviornment where there are fewer hurdles.

Media ridicule and lawsuits are creations to reinforce people's belief that Walmart is evil in a subsegment of the indistry dominated by the middle and lower classes.
Low-cost disfavored Chinese labor is utilized by corporate america to maximize margins. They all do it. Only WalMart gets fingered because they are the ones who help, and those who seek to create confusion in the marketplace want to eliminate the vast middle class who have a real chance and instead stick with lower classes who may not work otherwise. So they dirty him up while allowing the others to appear clean.

The middle class is being deceived. They are being misled into the unfavored, and subsequently will have no assistance from their purchases with corporate america.

I believe the coining of the term "Uncle Sam" was a clue alluding to just this::Sam Walton and WalMart is one of few saviors of the peasant class.

Amercia is a country of castoffs, rejects. Italy sent its criminals. Malcontents.
Between the thrones, the klans and kindred, they "decided" who they didn't want and acted, creating discontent and/or starvation.
The u.s. is full of disfavored rejects. It is the reason for the myriad of problems not found in European countries. As far as the Rockafellers and other industrialists of the 19th century go, I suspect these aren't their real names. I suspect they were chosen to go and head this new empire.

Royalty is the right way to organize a society. Dictatorships and monarchies are a reflection of the antient's hierarchical organization.
Positions go to those who have favor with the rulers, as opposed to being elected.
Elections bring a false sense of how the world is. Democracy misleads people.
Which is why the disfavored rejects were sent to the shores of America::To keep them on the wrong path.

Jesus Christ is a religious figure of evil. These seperatist churches formed so they could still capture the rest of the white people, keeping them worshipping the wrong god.
And now they do it to people of color, Latinos and Asians, after centuries of preying upon them.

Simpson's foreshadowing::Helloween IV special, Flanders is Satan. "Last one you ever suspect."
"You'll see lots of nuns where you're going:::hell!!!" St. Wigham, Helloween VI, missionary work, destroying cultures.
Over and over, the Simpsons was a source of education and enlightenment, a target of ridicule by the system which wishes to conceal its secrets.

Since Buddism doesn't recongnize a god, the calls are never heard, and Chinese representation is instead selected by the thrones.
Budda was the Asian's Jesus Christ::: bad for the people. "They came up at the same time for a reason."

Jews maim the body formed in the image of "god", and inflicted circumsision upon all other white people, as well as the evil that is Jesus Christ.
I think about how Jews (were used to) created homosexuality among Slavics, retribution for the Holocaust.
Then I think of the Catholic Church and its troubles.
What connection is here between Jews and the Catholic church???
If it is their sinister motives that’s behind the evil that is Jesus Christ are they being used at all?
Perhaps it is them who are pulling strings.
Their centuries of slavery in Egypt proves their disfavor. The Jew leaders decided to prey on the up-and-coming Europeans to try to fix their problems with the ruling elite, a recurring aspect of their methodology.

I believe Islam is the one true religion, and those misled christians who attack "god"'s most favored people will pay dearly one day.

[wayne b]

this is just my spin on things .the first time that i heardthe word crip was aroumd 1967 or 1968 on the play groung at century park elementry school. i was in the 3rd or 4th grade at the age of 7 or 8 .i new block crips like barefoot pookey and this dude named david and his brother roy tookie is one older then my oldist brother who is 49 but guys like pookey would be around 54 or 55 there are a lot more guyes that where in that shit a guy aross the stree from me named eric who killed a person in the early 70s at sportsman park and went to prison. to menny to recall.this is just what i rember about it

[LJ]

Hey Bro, keep doing the work of the Lord. I 2 used to be a Crip, and God turned my life around remember that Joseph was also in prison kinda like death row never let out. Prison is also a mind set you can do the best with the time ou have or sink in sand. I'm getting ready to start a street ministry in my town and so much more God has done through me for his kingdom and glory. Holla back.

[JAMES NEILL]

Tookie williams is the cold blooded murderer of 4 innocent people,those are the ones we know of,we can I'm sure conclude there are more dead that we don't know of and more are alive that he's incarcerated. The defence say's on his behalf he's written stories chiding children to stay clear of gang's and so on and so forth,he has a co-author who'm I believe to be the principal author any other conclusion is foolish.WE CANNOT FORGIVE HIM AS WE ARE NOT THE ONES PRINCIPLYED HARMED ,we do well as a society to send him to ultimte justice before GOD where williams can be confronted by those whose sacred life on earth he eliminated by terrible means ,for a few dollars.williams has lived 26 years longer than those he without regard blasted away LET'S REMEMBER THEM!LET'S HAVE A SENCE OF JUSTICE FOR THEIR FAMILY'S,WE MUST FOR OUR OWN GOODNESS SAKE HUNT THOSE WHO DO US HARM AND MAKE THEM SUBMIT TO AN AWFUL JUSTICE.

[jameli smith]

it truly has been a honor to view redemption i haven't had a chance to read my books too my children but i will get a round to it soon. Some times we make mistakes in like that we can;t change but we can change are life and god for his forgiveness and i know you have already done that truly you are blessed,blessed to be breathing i wish you were released from prison i truly would love to get to know you even if you don't get released from prison i would love to write to you if i had a address for you and send pictures of me and my childre3n they to have also seen the movie you truly are a blessed man and living a blessed life and you changed for the better may god bless you

[janssen]

yall should let him go because hes already did 21 years in prison and hes now a changed man plus hes the leader of crips and im a fellow crip so yeah tookie write back

[Ronnie Taylor]

Hey Tookie! As I'm writing you I'm praying, and asking God to save your soul. And as long as his will is done you will be alright. If God forgives you don't worry about man. I have this memory of you the last time I seen you on the streets. We were at a party on Crenshaw between Washington & Venice. We had good conversation that night, and when I heard of your troubles I was surprised. I know you were not the killer type. So whatever happened I know that wasn't you. Not the real Tookie that I knew. GOD IS!!! Don't worry Trust God. I'll try to be there to support you. And to see God set you free. Much Love, Ronnie

[brianna]

I THINK THAT HE SHOULD GET OUT AND BE A FREE MAN BECAUSE AFTER ALL HE HAS DONE SOME WONDERFUL THINGS FOR TENNS AND TRY HIS HARDEST TO TRY TO CONVINCE THEM TO LEAVE OR NOT JOIN A GANG.SO HE SHOULD BE A FREE MAN!!!GIVE HIM A CHANCE.