226:“The murder of W.L. Nolen on January 13, 1970, began an incredible chain of tragedies that led the California prison system to disaster. The initial consequence was the first killing of a guard in Soledad history, a revenge murder, and from there the poison spread. In the 19 months following the January 13 incident, at least 40 persons were murdered as a result of events and circumstances in the California prison system. Of the 40 murders, 19 are directly linked to the series of tragedies which began with the shooting of W.L. Nolen.”
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On
January 13, 1970, a new exercise yard was opened in the maximum-security wing of Soledad Prison. Despite the racial tensions which existed between black and white inmates, the prison authorities allowed a group of black inmates to use the yard at the same time as a group of white inmates. A fight
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in 1966, after Nolen was stabbed during a prison fight and went to the prison hospital, where
Jackson was working as an orderly. During this initial meeting, Nolen introduced Jackson to the works of
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198:“Prison guards are complicit in fomenting racial strife by aiding white inmate confederates in ways not actionable in court, i.e., leaving cell doors open to endanger the lives of
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The death of Nolen set off a chain of events, which resulted in at least 40 murders within the
California prison system, as outlined by Min S. Yee in a 1973 article:
242:(2007) by Leith M. Burke. In the film, a meeting between George Jackson and W.L. Nolen is portrayed, in which Nolen describes the Black Guerrilla Family as the “
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653:
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202:; placing fecal matter or broken glass in the food served to New Afrikans etc., as these material factors would be difficult to prove.”
107:, during a fight between black and white inmates in the prison's new exercise yard. Nolen's death set off a chain of events within the
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were accused of. In the subsequent 19 months, 19 murders within the
California prison system were directly linked with Nolen's death.
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During this initial meeting, Nolen stated that the initials "W.L." don't stand for anything. He explained that his family was from
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broke out between the black and white inmates, during which, Opie G. Miller, a tower guard who had a reputation as an "expert
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In early
January 1970, Nolen expressed concern to his parents that the guards in Soledad Prison were trying to kill him.
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The Black
Guerrilla Family 1966 – 1971: The Violent History of California's Most Notorious Prison Gang
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219:", fired four shots, which resulted in the deaths of Nolen, Alvin Miller, and Cleveland Edwards.
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Imprisoned
Intellectuals: America's Political Prisoners Write on Life, Liberation, and Rebellion
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96:. Nolen is considered the mentor of Jackson and is often credited with introducing Jackson to
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171:(BFG), in San Quentin State Prison, along with George Jackson. The BFG was founded on
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On
January 13, 1970, Nolen and two other black inmates were shot dead by a guard in
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84:(December 13, 1943 – January 13, 1970) was an American convict who co-founded the
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151:, which is his handbook for a revolution to produce a new breed of black man.”
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351:"Soledad uncensored: Racism and the hyper-policing of Black bodies, Part 1"
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Captive Nation: Black Prison
Organizing in the Civil Rights Era
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People killed by law enforcement officers in the United States
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American convict who co-founded the Black
Guerrilla Family
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The Rise and Fall of California's Radical Prison Movement
410:. University of North Carolina Press. p. 102.
323:. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 85.
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against the prison authorities, in which he stated:
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186:In 1969, Nolen and Jackson were transferred to
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268:. Plebiscite Publishing Company. p. 100.
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490:"Long live the spirit of Comrade W.L. Nolen"
488:Tashiri Askari, Kijana (November 28, 2016).
294:Bailey, Frankie Y.; Chermak, Steven (2016).
518:(1st ed.). Random House. pp. xv.
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684:American people who died in prison custody
574:"The San Quentin Six: A Case of Vengeance"
179:ideology and had the goals of eradicating
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380:The Melancholy History of Soledad Prison
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540:"CONVICTS' FAMILIES WILL GET $ 270,000"
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143:“He wrote two books you ought to read:
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264:Ouagadougou, Mbutu A. (May 12, 2022).
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349:Williams, Talib (April 4, 2020).
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167:In 1966, Nolen co-founded the
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572:Jordan, Fania Davis (1974).
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514:Jackson, George L. (1972).
382:. Harper's Magazine Press.
119:Early life and imprisonment
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98:radical left-wing politics
437:Stanford University Press
298:. ABC-CLIO. p. 407.
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296:Crimes of the Centuries
129:San Quentin State Prison
109:California prison system
90:San Quentin State Prison
467:. R. Marek Publishers.
145:Black Skin, White Masks
494:San Francisco Bay View
463:Howard, Clark (1981).
431:Cummins, Eric (1994).
355:San Francisco Bay View
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169:Black Guerrilla Family
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86:Black Guerrilla Family
74:Black Guerrilla Family
620:"Black August (2007)"
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149:Wretched of the Earth
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406:Berger, Dan (2014).
378:Yee, Min S. (1973).
163:Political activities
92:in 1966, along with
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319:James, Joy (2004).
231:Depictions in media
210:Death and aftermath
61:Cause of death
546:. April 23, 1975.
544:The New York Times
72:Co-founder of the
674:American Marxists
578:The Black Scholar
465:American Saturday
123:Nolen grew up in
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664:1970 deaths
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644:Black Power
137:Franz Fanon
638:Categories
525:0933121237
474:0399901205
251:References
139:, stating:
131:Nolen met
82:W.L. Nolen
23:W.L. Nolen
598:0006-4246
552:0362-4331
606:41065690
244:vanguard
217:marksman
192:petition
157:Arkansas
173:Marxist
125:Oakland
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559:2023
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520:ISBN
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46:Died
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
