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Unlike most books, you
already know the ending to Blue
Rage, Black Redemption.
Author Stanley “Tookie”
Williams made a name for
himself as a member of the
notorious gang, The Crips.
Although he professed his
innocence, right up until the last
minute, on December 13, 2005
despite supporters from around
the word, Mr. Williams was
executed in California; not
without a show which is what
“Tookie” from back in the day
lived for.
In this memoir, Mr. Williams
tells of his childhood and how
after moving to California, he
co-founded The Crips.
Interestingly what began as a
group to protect the community
from gangs actually turned into
what has been called one of the
most brutal and notorious gangs
in American history.
Blue Rage, Black
Redemption is a journey of sorts
as the reader travels with Mr.
Williams through key points in
his life. If Mr. Williams is to be
believed, much of the information
circulating about gang
activity, as well as police activity
was somewhat inaccurate with
quite of that information coming
from individuals who were
bragging or trying to benefit
from their inflated status
resulting from their lies.
In Blue Rage, Black
Redemption, Mr. Williams
attempts to right some wrongs.
He also talks about an issue that
people complain about still
today, police brutality. His life
became one filled with violence,
drug use and abuse, robberies,
sex and murder. You'll read
about the people who loved
him, and those who hated
his very existence.
Known for his finely
sculpted body--from
several years of lifting
irons (weights), eventually
Mr. Williams finds himself on
death row. During those years
that he sat waiting for his death
sentence to be carried out, the
reformed gangbanger became a
model inmate. He has written
children’s books and has talked
extensively about the negativity
that surrounds being in gangs.
At times you will feel that Mr.
Williams is a psychologist as he
astutely diagnoses many of the
people and issues he became
acquainted with. He spent his
last years on
earth discouraging
youth from
becoming
involved with
gangs.
In addition to his five nominations
for the Nobel Peace
Prize, he was also nominated
four times for the Nobel Prize in
Literature.
Each man or woman has their
own position on the death
penalty. In the epilogue,
Barbara Bechnel writes about
the lethal injection and tells how
Mr. Williams death was slow,
agonizing and inhumane.
Blue Rage, Black
Redemption is a must-read. Mr.
Williams calls attention to a
growing problem that
continues to shorten the lives
of America’s inner-city youth.
To his credit, Mr. Williams
shows the ugliness of gang life,
instead of glorifying it.
At the end, you may say:
"Tookie did a lot of bad things
during his short life."
You may also ask, "Was he
put to death for a crime he didn’t
commit?"
NOTE: To have your book
reviewed, send a review copy to
Cheryl Smith, Dallas Weekly, 3101
Martin Luther King Blvd. Dallas,
TX 75215.
If you have a book you would like reviewed, contact
Cheryl at csmith@dallasweekly.com
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