It's been almost two years since Stanley Tookie Williams was executed after being denied clemency by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the wake of his death, Touchstone Fireside is re-releasing Stanley Tookie Williams' memoir BLUE RAGE, BLACK REDEMPTION this November and hopes to shed additional light on Tookie's personal and public fight for redemption.Part 1 of the book, entitled Blue Rage, chronicles Tookie's gang life as a co-founder of the Crips. During this time he committed hundreds of crimes and was eventually charged with the murder of four people. In 1981, Tookie was convicted and sent to Death Row for twenty years. Throughout his time in prison, he maintained his innocence for the crimes for which he was convicted.The second part of the book, Black Redemption, looks at the work Tookie completed and legacy he crafted behind bars--his books, awards, anti-gang initiatives, and Nobel Prize nominations.
Work that prompted Archbishop Desmond Tutu to say, "Tookie learned the hard way that belonging to a gang is not smart. I salute him for his courage and determination to overcome his circumstances."Tavis Smiley provided the book's foreword and in it, he writes that he was blessed to have had a personal encounter with Tookie. Smiley says that for those who will never be able to witness Tookie's courage, conviction, and commitment to prevent young people from taking the same path he did, we can experience some of that pain and passion in BLUE RAGE, BLACK REDEMPTION. Smiley believes that Tookie's death can reaffirm the importance of life for young men and women around the country.
BLUE RAGE, BLACK REDEMPTION, which was co-written with activist Barbara Becnel, is described as both frightening and enlightening, representative of Tookie's life. But it hopes to offer a testament that rage can be turned into redemption.
Sounds like a heavy read.
Comments: (64)
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By: Awake, Alert on 7/31/2007 9:13PM
Has any poll shown the percentage of African-Americans who supported Mr. Williams' efforts to escape the death penalty?
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By: L. Criss on 8/01/2007 12:28PM
We have to be careful about playing the role of God. "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone". No sin is greater then the other in the eyes of God. Murder is no worse then robbery etc in the eyes of our Creator. If we don't forgive others for the things they do wrong our Father in heaven won't forgive us for the things we do wrong. Taking a life is no ones right but God. Like any other crime do the time. Eye for and Eye Mr. Governor is not within your authority realm. I feel that Mr. Williams regreted his actions and displayed remorse.
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By: jacqueline Penn on 8/01/2007 6:16PM
l. criss, i hear you on what you say, but the Lord lets us know that my people perish because of the lack of knowledge. The wages os sin is death. God knows the hardness of mens heart ,we should not do things that lead to death. Tookie says he redeemed his self and most of us do, but Go lets us know that there is a punishment for that. If we would eave a lot of young men and ladies as well as some older fools like myself. Arnold did not send Tookie to death, Tookie made that decision when he continue living a like that waas taking him fast to his his demise.
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By: zack on 8/01/2007 6:27PM
everybody start talking about god when its time to die!!tookie hurt alot of people,and the shit he helped create will continue to hurt people long after he's gone.not just the dummys who become crips,but their families and the families of the people they will hurt.he could have slowed down,but he kept on crippin.
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By: justice on 8/02/2007 7:32PM
he got what was coming to him i lost a sister to a gang member you donot put fear in people because you have a gang to back you up and then when you get caught you want to blame everybody but yourself lets face it the man was pure evil to get yourself out of trouble you will say anything how come when he was free he never took the time to write or speak to young kids the only thing on his mind was hurting people.
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By: nic on 8/02/2007 11:21AM
I agree with Zack. No one thinks about what Tookie created and how many people he hurt and still continues to hurt with his "legacy". He lived his life the way he wanted to and hurt so many others in the process. Why would anyone defend him? Most of us are trying to clean up the mess he left behind. I, for one, did not support freeing him. Courage, my ass. He was a coward that ended up in jail. Why black people would support him in any way is truly a mystery to me and part of our problems as a community.
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By: michael daniels on 8/07/2007 12:59AM
thou shall not kill.
notice the period at the end.
GOD does not contradict himself; ever
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By: Katina on 8/10/2007 4:26PM
I agree with comments 4, 5, 6 and 7. Simply put, you reap what you sow. It is unfortunate that the rest of society is continually reaping the rotten seeds that this "man" sowed. What he did can not be undone. I weep for our youth and for our society in general. The things that our young people have to deal with on a daily basis is horrific. I don't care if he found a cure for cancer while he was in prison, it still does not erase all of the damage that he masterminded and performed.
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By: MsS on 8/19/2007 6:30AM
not interested
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By: Fannie Mae on 8/19/2007 8:10AM
What ever happens in our lives GOD allows it. He never makes a mistake. This had to take place so the other gang bangers will see their end results.
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