OG Told Me...

“If you keep living, you have to keep changing with the times.”-...

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 08:18:00 -0700

“If you keep living, you have to keep changing with the times.”- Tommie Smith

…

He said the reason he was there in Cal Berkeley’s Edwards Stadium, hosting the 10^th Annual Tommie Smith Youth Track Tournament was simple:

“I owe society, I owe the children of society.”

I followed with the question, “Why do you owe society?”

Smith said, “I’m human, everyone owes society—what are you going to do? Live free? You’ve got to pay! And I don’t mean cause I’m Black I pay. Because I’m human, I owe society. Because I’m Black I owe what I am.”

…

Smith is known as one of the two gentleman who gave a Black leather glove-fisted salute from the winner’s circle during the 1968 Olympics; the other gentleman is John Carlos. Smith is now the man behind the international youth track tournament that bares his name and has been running for a decade.

Smith says that his action on the victory stand in Mexico City was, “the Olympic project for human rights. Why human rights? Because it is a gift of everyone.”

When asked about the purpose of his stand, He replied:

“It was a stand for right. A stand for liberty. A stand for humanity. A stand for man. A stand for freedom. I call it the cry for freedom. A lot of people call it the Black Power sign, the Black Power salute, it was a Cry for Freedom. From a humanistic point of view.”

…

The act has also been called, “The Silent Gesture”, as is the title to Tommie Smith’s book. Aside from being an iconic image and an author, Smith is a retired NFL player, the first man to break the 20 second barrier in the 200 Meter dash, and a member of the United States National Track and Field Hall of Fame.

…

Smith says, ”I could’ve made a whole lot of money had I been a good boy… putting my hand on my heart and signing the National anthem, but it didn’t represent me fully enough to be a negative form of my people— by doing something which did not compliment them; which was standing there and bowing to a flag that didn’t represent them fully.”

I said, “I understand because…”

He cut me off, and said:

“Don’t get me started son, I might have to light you up!” He said, with a lighthearted laugh that left me to believe he wasn’t playing.

**Editor’s note: after I interviewed Watani Stiner, a man...

Wed, 29 May 2013 12:19:03 -0700

**Editor’s note: after I interviewed Watani Stiner, a man who is serving time in San Quentin State Prison due to his connection to the murders of Bunchy Carter and John Huggins (former heads of the LA Chapter of the Black Panther Party), Stiner wrote about our interview in the April 2013 edition of the San Quentin News as a part of his ongoing column: “From an OG’s Perspective” … Here is the article.

…

An ‘OG’s’ Perspective: What To Tell Young Offenders.

By Watani Stiner, Staff Writer

Recently I sat down with Pendarvis Harshaw, a 24 year-old Oakland freelance writer who met with the San Quentin News staff. In a one-on-one conversation, Pendarvis asked me a simple, but profound question that caused me to really think about my answer.

It was a rather straightforward question that I should not have hesitated to answer. After all, it wasn’t that I hadn’t thought about the question before. Nevertheless, I found myself scrambling for words that could adequately capture my thoughts.

As I sat with Pendarvis, he turned to me, with a serious expression, and said, “In your article you say you have something relevant and important to say to the younger generation. Then tell me, if you had the ear of the youth, what wisdom would you bestow upon them – what would you tell them?”

At that very moment, I wanted to deliver several meaningful messages all at once. I wanted to say something truly relevant, something that would inspire and provoke conversations. But, the more I thought about the question, the less precise I felt about the answer. I realized that the difﬁ culty of answering this question was not due to lack of knowledge and understanding. Rather, it was from an inability to communicate a message and meaning in a language and logic that could be understood by young people.

As I thought about the question, I looked at Pendarvis and ﬁnally responded by saying, “I would tell them my story and have a conversation. ”

…

I am writing this monthly column because I want to let young people know that my story is part of their story, and all of our stories have a meaning and a message. Each story is part of the human experience. For even a sad and tragic story has its lessons. We must hear those stories and connect with them in the process of moving toward a better self, society and world.

If we understand the responsibility we have to share the lessons of our stories, we can realize that we are generational teachers and students to each other. We are heirs and custodians of a legacy. We must receive it and pass the historical baton. Passing the baton is something I have come to understand about life. It’s what brought me to meet Pendarvis who has a photo essay project on his website called “OG Told Me.”

Armed with poignant questions and a camera, Pendarvis described his activities by saying he “moves about the community of Oakland, snapping photos and gathering snippets of wisdom from ‘OGs.’” He goes through Oakland, sees an “OG,” and asks them questions—inviting them into a conversation. From their conversation, he takes a picture and quote to post it on his site.

After learning about “An OG’s Perspective,” Pendarvis said he liked both the concept and content of the “OG” column. He told me that he sees this column as a creative and effective way to generate conversations between the older and younger generation.

The more I talked to Pendarvis, the more questions he asked. He asked me about my views and values on a range of critical issues.

He was particularly interested in the perspectives of OGs and how they interact with the younger prisoners here at San Quentin. He was also curious about the degree and manner of respect younger prisoners elect to show the OGs. What do young prisoners want to know? What and how much are OGs willing to share? Is there a distance or a sense of generational obligation and responsibility on the part of OGs?

Talking to Pendarvis made me feel like I had another connection to the younger generation—to someone in the community trying to make a difference. In addition, our conversation helped me realize what I want to share with the next generation.

For the youth, I wish to pass on personal and social stories of struggle and sacriﬁce—stories of family and community and of violence and reconciliation. I tell these stories, not in any self-righteous, preaching or condescending manner. I tell these stories in a manner that raises critical questions, inspires dignity and determination, and invites dialogue, debate and conversation. I realize that once a generation falters or neglects to pass the torch, a disconnection and a generational breakdown inevitably emerges.

…

Now, I ask the OGs the same question Pendarvis asked me. If you had the ear of the youth, what would you bestow upon them – what would you tell them? Send your answers and your age, so we can put them on the table for a dialogue. Once a few of the answers have been considered, this column will be open for the younger generation to respond.

…

What to Tell Young Offenders?

OGs, please put your answers in a U-Save-Em envelope addressed to San Quentin News, Education Department, and drop it in the mail.

**Editors note: responses can be sent to:

San Quentin News

1 Main Street

San Quentin, Ca. 94974

“You know how they say: ‘If I save 1, I save a...

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:56:12 -0700

“You know how they say: ‘If I save 1, I save a million’… It’s the opposite with me: when I save a million, I’ll come back for that one. I want ‘em all.” - “David Ruffin”

…

On Washington DC’s notorious Georgia avenue, just across the street from Howard University, “David Ruffin” and “Philly Fred” cracked jokes over a game of chess. He said he goes by “David Ruffin” … cause he looks like David Ruffin. Philly Fred calls him a “punching bag” (trash talk over the chess game). And some call him a mentor.

“David Ruffin” is a fixture in DC’s Uptown. He spews casual conversations, colloquialisms, and clever jokes.

When asked, if he had a chance to give young people some words of wisdom, what would he tell them— OG Told Me:

…

“Follow your heart. Stay close to your mother. Grant God with understanding. Once you grant God with understanding, you’ll know how to deal with self.”- “David Ruffin”

When asked what guidance he would give to a young person, OG...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 08:56:52 -0700

When asked what guidance he would give to a young person, OG Told Me:

“The first thing I would tell him is, if he lives in the Black community, is to look around, just look around you and see what’s going on. Just look around. And then, I would tell him to figure out how they would be able impact that situation—how he would they make it better for the people who live in that?”- Ronald Freeman, AKA Elder Freeman.

…

He sat on the end of his twin-sized bed, as the sheets pulled back to reveal the mattress and box spring. He held up a picture from the late 60’s. He pointed to the faces in the crowd “that’s Angela Davis right there,” he said, pointing to one of the most notorious afros in the world. And then he pointed to a young lanky kid in the just behind Ms. Davis, “that’s me!”

The two were a part of a pack of Panther brothers and sisters making their way through LAX on that day. He said they had just arrived from Oakland, where they participated in the Free Huey Rally in front of the Alameda County courtroom on Feb 17^th, 1968; Huey P. Newton’s birthday.

Ronald Freeman, who goes by the title “Elder Freeman”, says it was the day after the rally in Oakland, when the Los Angeles Chapter of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense officially started. Freeman would become a Field Secretary.

On a Saturday morning in March of 2013, Freeman opened the doors to his apartment in West Oakland, and let me into his world of pictures with historical figures and tales of community wars; many of which he says are still going on.

“We knew about the KKK and the lynchings they were doing to Black men,” said Freeman, as he explained the societal conditions that lead him to join the Black Panther Party at the age of 23. “By me seeing the women and kids get murdered, they wrong for that, I just couldn’t get past that.” He said the he joined the Black Panther Party for Self Defense in response to what was happening in Watts in the 1960’s; he felt this was the answer to the police brutality and the over all socioeconomic conditions of his community.

Since his time in Watts, Freeman has been incarcerated for attempted murder with a deadly weapon. He has been shot. He has been featured in a documentary (41^st and Central). And now, Freeman is fighting cancer.

…

As his skinny frame moved through his apartment; a nice little spot on a well-known block in West Oakland’s Lower Bottoms, he searched for his misplaced medicine.

His neighborhood, like much of West Oakland (and for that matter, most of urban America), is undergoing a massive socio-economic overhaul. As tech workers, cool hip young people on bikes, and artists flow into the land that once housed the initial chapter of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, an organization created to advocate for people subject to the oppression of the American government.

Freeman continued to look for a prescription pill, or maybe an over the counter pain reliever; he couldn’t remember. He was just focused on finding this medicine. “I’ve got Cancer,” he said in a straight-forward manner, as he pointed to his stomach.

He said he planned on going to Cuba in June in order to get a second opinion on what doctors told him was Colon cancer, before deciding on a medical procedure. He said he doesn’t much care for the American Medical system. He takes medicine to relieve the pain, he self-medicates by way of marijuana, and eat as best he can to keep his weight up until he leaves for the doctor’s of Cuba.

He began showing me photo after photo. Artistic portraits his mother gave him when he got out of San Quentin in the 70’s. Photos of deceased family members. Photos of him as a young beret sporting, black jacket-wearing Panther.

…

“Police, you don’t need that many really—they’re overrated. We need social programs and unity. If you change the conditions that people live up under, you change their behavior,” said Freeman, as he put his photos away, postponed his search for his medicine, and focused on the conversation at hand.

He says he always knew there was something wrong with his community, but couldn’t fully identify it until he heard Malcolm X’s speak. “When Malcolm used to talk, he would bring it to your attention that these socio economic conditions weren’t fit for human beings to live in, and we need to climb out of this,” said Freeman.

He continued, “You didn’t need to read a book, you just needed to turn around and look down the street.”

“If you understand what a democracy is, we’re far from one,” Freeman said in a stern tone.

He followed that with saying, people in power know that, and therefore make access to education and jobs unattainable, “the prisons play a large part in the social structure of our community and needs to be addressed in totality.”

Freeman believes that change comes about when young people get involved. He urged me to understand that.

Freeman’s wiry frame illuminated as he talked about young people getting involved in the community. He almost bounced off the springs in his twin-sized mattress, as he told me:

“If you think that the system doesn’t work, then show that it doesn’t work,” Freeman said.

After the thirty minute delay to converse with me, Freeman showed me to the door, and continued his search for his medicine.

When asked what he would tell a young person to guide them along...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:12:48 -0700

When asked what he would tell a young person to guide them along their path, OG Told Me: “I’d encourage them NEVER lose that link of the past.”

When asked how young people should do that, he said: “I’ve had so many conversations with my own kids—they had the same question…”

And he didn’t have the answer.

…

He says he never wanted anyone to believe he did, not even his own kids. But one thing he is sure of is, he wants to start the conversation that leads to that answer.

His name is Watni Stiner; he recently wrote an article called “From An OG’s Perspective”, which was published in the San Quentin News.

Steiner, a member of the US Organization, has been convicted of conspiracy and 2^nd degree murder in a shooting that left the leaders of the Los Angeles Chapter Black Panther Party, John Huggins and Bunchy Carter, dead in a building on UCLA’s campus in 1969.

Stiner has since served time, escaped prison, fled the country, lived in exile, returned to the country and returned to prison. He is facing a life sentence.

…

In a room adjacent to the baseball field, on the side of San Quentin State Prison’s yard, I met with Stiner.

He wore a light blue prison issued XXL shirt and glasses. A taller gentleman, with thinning salt-and-peppered hair; when he went to introduce himself, his presence eclipsed the portrait of Malcolm X on the wall.

The basketball game was on TV: Ohio St. vs. the Iona College Gaels. It was the first round of March Madness, the Friday prior to my spring break.

…

Stiner and I talked about his life:

What made him join the US Organization—he mentioned the appeal of the afrocentric beliefs of the organization, and the belief that security comes by joining a group of peers with common interests.

…

How he escaped prison—he didn’t go too deeply into detail about that.

What he experienced while in exile— A military coup in Suriname in 1980 on the heels of the Jonestown massacre in Guyana in 1978.

…

Why he retuned and surrendered—“to seek a better future for my kids,” Stiner said, in reference to a deal he had arranged with US government officials, that if he returned and surrendered, his children would be allotted US Citizenship. Upon surrendering, this is not how the deal unfolded, according to Stiner. Legal battles persisted for years, before the kids finally received citizenship; they now reside in Los Angeles.

….

Reconciliation with Ericka Huggins— In December of 2012, they held a restorative justice event where both sides discussed the shooting that took Ericka’s husband’s life and Stiner’s freedom; they look to continue this dialog.

….

The story of Stiner’s children and family was covered in an LA Weekly article back in August of 2007, but since then his youngest son has been arrested and is now doing time in a prison.

“I was worried about him,” said Stiner, in reference to his son who was, “wearing colors, joining gangs and trying to fit in.”

Now that his son is incarcerated for an undisclosed crime, Stiner says they have had a better line of communication.

“He tries to use all those big words and study the dictionary,” said Stiner with a smile. “When you go to prison, at least in my experience: you want to use those big words and be like Malcolm.”

…

Stiner says that through writing, to Ericka Huggins, his son, or even to the readers of his column—he can spread the word that there is a responsibility for the OG’s to look out for the younger generation.

“The older generation not only has the responsibility to talk, the older generation has a responsibility to listen,” he said.

Stiner says that on the prison yard, young people often approach him and ask him about, “the story,” the tales of George Jackson, escaping prison, and the movement in the 60’s.

He said, “Young people are so mesmerized by the past—however I use that game to keep their attention.”

“I just can’t get enough OGs together,” said Stiner.

He said that the majority of youngsters who cross his path are familiar with “the code”, and it’s not hard to bring them to the table.

“The hardest part is getting older 1’s, the 1’s who are set in their ways,” said Stiner.

Stiner said that this is unfortunate, especially because a lot of the problems that are present in our generation are due to the mistakes made by past generations.

…

“A lot of the Crips and Bloods are sons of the elders in the Party and in the Org.”- Watani Stiner

Editor’s Note: This column is a special entry. Below is a copy...

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 11:02:00 -0700

Editor’s Note: This column is a special entry.

Below is a copy of a column on what it means to be an OG, written by Watani Stiner. The article was published on March 13^th, 2013 in San Quentin State Prison’s newspaper. Stiner, a member of the US organization, is currently serving 25-life for the murder of Bunchy Carter, Head of the LA chapter of the Black Panther Party.

On Friday March 22^nd, 2013 I had the opportunity to meet Stiner and discuss the riff between the US organization and the Black Panther Party, his personal story, and how the OG’s have responsibility.

The next post will be the notes on the conversation between Stiner and I…But first, enjoy this:

…

An “OG’s” Perspective

By Watani Stiner

I first came to prison in 1969. After five years of being incarcerated, I escaped from San Quentin State Prison and fled to South America where I lived in self-imposed exile for 20 years. In 19994, I voluntarily surrendered to U.S. authorities and was brought back to San Quentin to serve the remainder of my “life sentence.” I have now been in prison for 25 years.

Although my life experience has definitely shaped my “OG” perspective, this column is not about my life story . It’s not about my political views, my prison escape or the many years I spent in South America. Rather, this column provides a conversational space and open invitation to the younger generation to consider and engage an “OG’s” perspective.

I have not walked the streets of this country in 45 years. So I won’t pretend to have some kind of “guru-insight” into the minds of young people and their activities outside these prison walls. But I do want to find effective and informative ways to utilize this “OG” column to raise relevant questions about the culture of violence and encourage serious dialogue on a number of critical issues.

Why should you listen to me? First of all, I’m a father, grand-father and great-grandfather, and a man who feels partially responsible for and concerned about the destructive and devastating historical disconnections that have occurred between the generations. I use this “OG” column to explore and address the critical consequences when one generation drops or doesn’t pass on the historical baton. I consider myself an “OG” who has picked up that baton, and I’m charged and challenged with the responsibility of finding creative ways of handing it off to the next generation.

You should listen to me because I have something relevant and important to say. I have life-experiences that I must emphasize and pass on to the younger generation. You should listen because I have some personal and vital information about respect, family, community, and the historical bridges that carried us over. As an “OG”, I believe in human equity, social justice and peace, and I have come to realize that all forms of violence, no matter how it is justified, eventually consumes the very purpose it is intended for.

…

CHANGING DEFINTIONS :

Now I realize that the term “OG” does not have the same meaning today as it used to have. Its meaning has shifted over the years. The original use of “OG” stood for “Original Gangster.” From its inception “OG” had a specific meaning. It first began as a title of respect from former gang members who “paid their dues” and earned the status of “OGs” in their “hoods.”

However, just being an older man “from” the hood wouldn’t automatically qualify one as an “OG”. To earn this title “OG” you would have had to acquire at least three things: reputation, insight, and a distinguished manner in which you conduct yourself.

However, the meaning of the term “OG” has changed over the years. In its current usage, the term “OG” implies a broader category. While retaining its title of respect in popular culture, “OG” is now equivalent to the word “elder” or the courtesy afforded an older personal in the use of “Mister.” This deference today is based largely upon age, not necessarily on reputation, insight or how one conducts himself. An “OG” can be an old fool.

“OG”, as I’m using it in this column, comes from a particular time period and out of a specific set of experiences. It emanates from a certain mindset shaped by the social and political movements of the 1960’s. “OG” (as it’s being used here) stands for “Old Guard.” These “OGs” today (too often silent) are now in their sixties and early seventies. This writer himself is sixty-five years of age, an elder with the determination, responsibility, patience, and courage to engage and not give up on our youth.

This column is open to suggestions, and when you see me on the yard or in the unit, you are welcome to give feedback on topics that you think an “OG’s” viewpoint can illuminate.

I got off the 1R bus on the corner of 82nd Ave and International...

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:12:54 -0700

I got off the 1R bus on the corner of 82nd Ave and International Blvd, and walked alongside a gentleman I met during the ride.

His name is Mr. Phifer, and this is his hood.

As we crossed the street toward a corner store, Mr. Phifer pointed to his head and said, “if you don’t change it in here,” he paused and pointed outwards— toward the neighborhood, “you can’t change it out there.”

“It all starts in your head.”

…

As he rattled off a portion of his resumé, which included working as a neighborhood counselor, I stopped him and asked him the same question I ask all elder Black men: Given your life experience, if you had the chance to talk to young people, what would advice would you give them?

…

As he surveyed the scene: students walking down the street, cars flying by with music blasting and grown men sitting down the block- he quickly said:

“You can’t help those who don’t help themselves”. - Mr. Phifer

…

And then I took this photo

The 86 year-old man was decked out in motorcycle club...

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 09:34:02 -0800

The 86 year-old man was decked out in motorcycle club paraphernalia, as he sat in the back of the bus riding through East Oakland. After introducing myself to Mr. Edgar Mitchell, he briefly shared with me tales of working at Southern Pacific Railroad, the benefit of self education and his experience with the Bible.

“You shouldn’t have got me started— I gotta get off,” said Mitchell, as he rang the bell to request a stop and prepared to exit the back of the bus.

OG Told Me: “I can tell you a story that is true, cause I was there.”

“For every law there is to put you in jail, there’s...

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:05:45 -0800

“For every law there is to put you in jail, there’s one to get you out… you’ve just got to find it.”- Reggie Bailey.

…He told me that after the clippers were silent and the tape recorder was cut off.

…

My assignment was to report on Reggie Bailey’s barbershop in downtown Oakland; a business profile about a service job in the heart of the city— told through photos and audio:

http://oaklandnorth.net/2013/02/21/reggie-baileys-barbershop/

I had a sufficient amount of material, so I turned my recorder off; and then he told me about his court case… I cut the tape back on

“They tried to railroad me,” Bailey said, meaning that he was bombarded with by lawyers, aiming to lead him down the wrong path. “Before the court case started, I signed a petition admitting to my priors.”

He had plead guilty to all his prior convictions in front of a room full of people— including lawyers, the judge and the jury.

“Once I started my trial, they allowed all my history to come back up in court— but they ruled that a double crossing.”

The “double crossing”, an attempt to use Bailey’s history as evidence in his new case was ruled unlawful by the judge— and set precedent for California law.

http://law.justia.com/cases/california/caapp4th/9/1252.html

…

Bailey case was thrown out. What could have been an 8 year sentence was shortened to a few months.

After telling me this story, Bailey sat back in the black leather barber’s chair in the middle of the shop he owns … and OG told me: ”For every law there is to put you in jail, there’s one to get you out… you’ve just got to find it.”- Reggie Bailey.

Terrance parlayed on a couch outside a liquor store on a Sunday...

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 03:31:46 -0800

Terrance parlayed on a couch outside a liquor store on a Sunday afternoon, in exchange for $1 OG told me: “pay attention to God’s word.”

He prides himself on “preaching outside of his four...

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:00:00 -0800

He prides himself on “preaching outside of his four walls”.

His name is Bishop J.E. Watkins and his church is located inside a building which was once home to Marcus Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement Association. Although West Oakland’s Liberty Hall is facing a possible foreclosure, Bishop Watkins is faithful that the one time home to Father Divine’s ministries will be able to keep its doors open.

Since he moved to the building in West Oakland, Bishop Watkins has dedicated the work of his church to expand past his four walls— to four square blocks in West Oakland.

He says he works with the “local pharmacists”, by not allowing police to put surveillance cameras in the windows of his church. In exchange, he says that the young men on the corner one block from the church often look out for the children who attend programs.

His programs consist of job training, legal aid, and the opportunity to gain hands-on television production experience; as well as Sunday church service.

The sanctuary in one of largest rooms in the building— the room is split between the chairs for the audience, the huge soundboard used to produce shows, a green screen, an altar, and a transparent organ.

His customized organ is “one of one”, says Bishop Watkins, who is a skilled organ player, (Here is a clip of him playing the organ) … but prefers the guitar.

His facility is historically and technologically amazing. It’s located on the corner of 8th and Chester in West Oakland’s Lower Bottoms neighborhood- a community that has historically been a maze.

He said that even during the times of the economic boom around the 7th street corridor, the backstreets of the Lower Bottoms were always home to number runners, whore houses and all sorts of crime.

But the difference is, back then it was organized.

…

I asked Bishop Watkins— based on his life experiences, what would he tell young people … OG Told Me:

“They have lost respect for themselves. Our youth need to gain the respect, and know what that word means. When the kids kill each other, do you know why they kill each other? It’s over notches… you gotta have five notches, you get 5 notches— that’s 5 killings… you get those 5 notches, that’s puts you at the top of the heap— you’re the leader of this gang.”

Bishop Watkins has seen the culture shift in his time.

“It’s no longer: well, I can beat you up. When I was coming up, it was ( he pounds his fist in his hand forcibly-signifying a beat down)… and then it was ‘aye-man, we’re good… and that’s the way it was.”

He cites the lack of education as the root of this disrespect that the youth seem to have for one and other.

“They have not finished more than the 9th grade. They do not know what the word disrespect really-really means.”

“What I would tell them now: get an education.”

He said that the reason people marched in the 60’s, was for this generation to get educated. And a lot of people in this generation chose to sell drugs. He urged the youth: GO BACK TO SCHOOL!

Not only to get an education- but to then reach back to help someone else.

I then asked Bishop Watkins: How do you gain that respect?

Bishop Watkins immediately referenced an old saying: ”Manners start at home and spread abroad.“

Bishop Watkins stressed the necessity of teaching morality and self respect in the house; and church house.

“Unless we OG’s- unless we teach this to the young men coming up, and unless they listen- they’ve gotta listen, as the bible says: he that has an ear, let him hear what thy say the lord. That’s the reason why the church is down here. They come in off the street … they’ll come to service…”

Bishop Watkins waved his hands about the sanctuary, physically expressing his verbal message.

“They are looking for something…”

… He said the guys he talks to on the streets are often looking for a change, but seldom know where to start. In order to change, the Bishop says:

“You start in your head, and then it moves to your heart.”

On the corner of Adeline st. and Harmon st. in South Berkeley, I...

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 07:26:00 -0800

On the corner of Adeline st. and Harmon st. in South Berkeley, I saw this sharply dressed OG conversing with a couple people in the neighborhood, they affectionately called him: “Willie”.

…

I approached Willie, complimented him on his style, introduced myself as a journalist who specializes in documenting elder Black men.

I then asked Willie, if given the opportunity to speak to the youth, based his life experiences, what would he tell them… OG Told Me:

“Simply live a good life.”-Willie.

The day after the San Francisco 49ers secured their position in...

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:04:59 -0800

The day after the San Francisco 49ers secured their position in Superbowl XLVII, I found a gentleman by the name of Curtis cold chilling SF’s Yerba Buena Gardens. Curtis’ attire: a charcoal and asphalt suit, 49ers scarf, and a blindingly golden hat that caused me to stop in my tracks. A jazz festival in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. served as the perfect background music as Curtis answered the question: if you had the opportunity to give the youth some wisdom, what would you tell them?

“Be in it to win it,” he said without hesitation; and then the man in the golden cap with the watch to match stated his winning formula:

“Stand for who you are-don’t be nobody else… ‘cause you win by being yourself.”

“At 70 years old, I want to tell society that you don’t have to...

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 06:06:04 -0800

“At 70 years old, I want to tell society that you don’t have to have 1 foot in the grave, because you’re old,” said Byron Hudson as he sat in a newly opened sports bar in downtown Oakland. Hudson doesn’t drink, nor smoke; as you would expect from a professional trainer. To Hudson, maintaining a healthy body is more than just a hobby and profession, it is a life long fight.

“When I was two, my biological father threw me out of a window,” said Hudson, who fell two stories into some bushes and survived. “There was a story in a SF newspaper: Baby Survives Fall was the headline.”

Hudson, whose mother’s family is from the South, spent time in New Orleans as a child, but credits West Oakland as his old stomping grounds.

“I got dealt a bad hand at birth: my mom died of cancer at 67 years old. My biological father died of cancer 58 years old, he had Colon and Prostate cancer.”

Hudson has been into bodybuilding since walking into McClymonds High School as a scrawny freshman; but his healthy lifestyle didn’t stop him from being impacted by hereditary diseases.

“I’ve got a bad heart, I’ve had a stroke before, I have all the things that affect Black people.” Said Hudson, a 5’6, 200 plus pound- boulder of a man. “Diabetes, heart issues, high blood pressure. I used to joke and say: I have everything but cancer.”

Hudson is one of the many Black men in America who have Prostate Cancer.

“Most people my age, if they’re not in great shape, what they’d do is observe, or they’d treat it with radiation.”

Hudson, a high ranking bodybuilder in the Mr. Oakland, Mr. California, and Mr. Pacific contests during the 1960’s and early 70’s, says that doctors say that he is in great shape for his age and this works to his benefit in combating cancer.

Hudson plans to have his prostate removed.

“Not many options when you have cancer—especially prostate: radiation, radiation inserts (pellets in your prostate), you can remove it (robotic surgery), or you can observe it (allow it to run its course).”

Hudson says that in the coming months he will be, “like a little boy again— I’ll be wearing a diaper for 6 weeks to 3 months.” He is upbeat about the recovery process. He plans to combine the Western practice of surgery with Eastern remedies, such as herbs and teas, in effort to get back on his feet as soon as possible.

“My goal is to be a spokesperson for cancer,” said Hudson.

He wants to speak to people about the diseases that are affecting many African Americans: Diabetes, Prostate Cancer, Colon Cancer and overall heart problems.

“Those are the things that will wipe us out quicker than anything—depending on where you live,” Hudson said with hesitation, a pause to consider the gun violence that also plagues African American communities Nationwide, perhaps.

As he scanned the miscellaneous individuals enjoying drinks and watching sports in the dimly lit bar, Hudson leaned in and said, “cancer creeps up on you—but we creep up on ourselves; we’re like our own cancer.”

With a half-faced-smile that forced his right eye to squint, Hudson nonchalantly said, “I have more years behind me than I have in front of me, I know I’m not living 70 more years. Unless God has something really special planned for me.”

Hudson followed up by saying, “I’m going to rid myself of cancer. I plan on being here.”

When asked what wisdom he might tell a young man, given his life experiences, Hudson said:

“If you don’t do all the right things in life that you should have, just try to outgrow some of the things you were doing that you shouldn’t have.”

“A Liquor Store Lesson” by Pendarvis...

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 10:59:56 -0800

“A Liquor Store Lesson” by Pendarvis Harshaw

…

A two minute short film which depicts the the driving concept behind the OG Told Me photo essay: There is a SENSE OF INTERGENERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY shared between Black men. This why young Black men listen to elder Black men, why elder Black men lend wisdom to younger Black men. And most importantly, this is a natural occurrence.

…

Proof? Although this video was scripted, when Richie Rich showed up on the set, the young men shook his hand. One of the young men used their smartphone to google his name. Seconds later, the young man exclaimed, “Oh! YOU WERE A PART OF 415- MY DAD USED TO LISTEN TO THEM!”

And then Richie Rich showed his 415 tattoo and shook the young man’s hand again…

Richie Rich, the man who coined the phrase: “Where you...

Sat, 17 Nov 2012 09:27:00 -0800

"Where you from? Oakland. Smokin'."

Rich and the lil homie...

Richie Rich, the man who coined the phrase: “Where you from ? Oakland- smokin’.” was asked the question: If you had the ear of the youth, what wisdom would you give them?

….

“Take some time- slow shit up. All that spur of the moment thinking- put that on ice. Hold that thought, my guy. Take a minute and just breathe. What you want Tuesday night may not be want you want Thursday night.”- Richie Rich.

“People that hustle make the team.”-Coach...

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 10:06:01 -0700

Nathaniel Smith ... (Son, Justin in the background.)

"I always smile at work"

A neighbor brings Mr. Smith a recently published article about Coffee With A Beat

On the corner of Grand & Perkins in Oakland.

Coach Smith, always smiling.

“People that hustle make the team.”-Coach Nate.

…

Coach Nate, given name of Nathaniel Smith, born and raised in South East Washington DC. He attributes his work ethic to his experience of coming up in Barry Farms, a notorious housing project, where he learned the value of hustle. He worked a paper route at the age of 11. During his high school years he became a skilled electrician, but after he graduated he couldn’t find a job. He worked at a department store before landing a big time job on Capital hill. The big time political job was a short-lived experience, as it was just a seasonal occupation. He then joined the Navy, where he served 4 years and 1 day. During the Vietnam war he travled the world. His athletic ability earned him many accolades in the service, and after being discharged, he stayed in Asia where he played professional basketball in the Philippines for 4 years. He experienced praise because of the way he played, he also experienced discrimination because of his race. He eventually moved back to the States.

…

Coach Nate is now a resident of Oakland, CA. He is married with 4 kids. He coaches baseball for a local public high school; he also owns and operates a well known coffee shop nestled in the heart of town…

…

He began his business with the dream of having a book store and a record shop.

At the time, both industries were declining, so Mr. Smith decided to merge his dream of music and books, with his wife’s dream of owning a cafe: “Coffee With A Beat” was born.

…

As we prepared to take a photo, we stepped out his cafe to the corner of Perkins & Grand Ave. in Oakland, CA, a regular customer came by with her daughter holding one hand and an article for Mr. Smith in the other palm. The article was a write-up on Coffee With a Beat, published on OaklandLocal.com, a local internet-based publication that highlights local people, places, and things in Oakland.

Mr. Smith laughed, smiled, and took the news in stride.

In talking to Mr. Smith, it’s evident that his relentless work ethic and his ever-present smile have aided him in his life’s journey.

….

“People that hustle make the team”, Coach Nate told me, and then he continued:

“I failed that test in 3rd grade- you know they use to determine if you’re going to be a ‘success’ in life… I’d like to go back and say like Kool Moe Dee said: “How ya like me now?”

“The need to defend yourself is innate within all human...

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 07:46:00 -0700

“The need to defend yourself is innate within all human beings.”- Sifu Bill Owens.

….

(This post was inspired by a tweet from Le’ Owens… Sifu Bill Owens’ son.)

“My father raised 65 Black Black belts 3 world champs and over 20 national champs .. #Oakland now u think they gonna let that be recognized?” - @RETRO_Le

…

Sifu Bill Owens has owned and operated The Blossom Fist martial arts school on the 7400 block of MacArthur Blvd. in East Oakland for over twenty years. Along with the list of accomplishments his son listed in the tweet quoted above, Sifu Owens has personally obtained black belts in Wun Hop Kuen Do, Arnis and Capoeira.

Sifu Owens takes pride in the success and longevity of his business. He, along with his wife Simo Mary Owens, have created an institution. He boasts of the scores of young men and women he has trained, and rightfully so.

In the middle of a neighborhood where tales of gun violence are the norm, Sifu Owens shared with me an account of a young man stepping to him and addressing his fears…

The young man who confronted Sifu Owens lived about a 1 block west of the martial arts school, and often hung-out with a group of guys in that same area. The young men would often venture two blocks east, passing Sifu Owens’ school, in effort to purchase a bottle from the local liquor store. After buying booze- the boys would bend an alternative corner- choosing to take the long way home, so as to not cross back in front of Sifu Owens and his students with brown bags and bottles in hand.

Sifu Owens continued to tell me that years later, the young man who took the scenic route eventually decided to take the high road, and finally speak to Sifu Owens face to face. The first words the young man ever said to the martial arts master was the aforementioned tale of he and his friends.

They didn’t know Sifu Owens. They knew his presence.

The unspoken respect for the elder Black man with a black belt from the boys on the block spoke volumes as to what he and his institution meant, and continue to mean to the community.

Sifu Owens ended his story with a list of questions. He wanted to know: Did the boys fear him? Respect him?… Did they think he was an authority figure? Father figure? … What made them go the long way?… What made the one out of the group come and tell him that tale on that day?

He came to the conclusion that the young boys’ actions were similar to one of the driving philosophies behind martial arts. The boys simply wanted to defend themselves. Their group, their block, their alcohol… Their worldview. Those were the defense mechanisms their environment had suggested to them, and those were the defenses they mastered.

…

“The need to defend yourself is innate within all human beings.” - Sifu Bill Owens.

“Don’t go to jail.”- Mr. Mack. … He...

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 16:09:16 -0700

Chalk in the street.

Building in the construction zone.

Mr. Mack...

Reading the card.

Reading the article.

“Don’t go to jail.”- Mr. Mack.

…

He spends his days near Lake Merritt, adjacent to the Alameda County Court House. Accompanied by his backpack & bike, he squats is in the middle of a popular path for business people who blur past in suits and weekend warriors who jog past in workout clothes.

His name is Mr. Mack.

I see him all of the time, as do many Oaklanders.

I walk, jog, and ride past him all of the time, as do many Oaklanders.

I’ve always considered talking to him, but August 1st, 2012 was the day I was meant to speak with him.

As I biked around the lake, I saw that Mr. Mack wasn’t in his normal spot. Instead of the sidewalk closest to the shore, he was on his knees, on the pavement in between the two-way traffic, in the middle of a construction zone… drawing in chalk.

These words were inscribed on the asphalt:

“ToyLAND”

“FaTryLAND”

“ELf”

I never got an understanding as to what his written words meant, but his spoken words gave me a profound understanding of how the world works.

…

I asked Mr. Mack a rendition of the same question I ask every elder Black man: Given your life experiences- If you had the ear of the youth, what wisdom would you bestow upon them- what would you tell them?

Mr. Mack laughed, and eloquently stated his answer: Don’t go to jail.

….

A brief question and answer session with Mr. Mack ensued:

Me: “Why do you always sit right here?”

Him: “to watch the birds (He points towards the shrubs which surround the Oakland musuem)… They’re hiding in there.”

Mr.Mack: ”What is that boy 50Cent doing nowadays?”

Me: “Hahahahhaha… What? I don’t know.”

Mr.Mack: “What about Hammer?”

Me: “Hahahahha… Where are you from, sir?”

Mr.Mack: “East Oakland, born and raised.”

Mr. Mack: ”What do you do for a living?”

Me: “I’m a journalist.”

(That’s when the questions stopped… Momentarily.)

Mr. Mack: “Chauncey Bailey was gooood…real good.”

(The questions continued)

Mr. Mack: “How good are you gonna be?”

Me: “What made Chauncey Bailey ‘good’ ?”

Mr Mack: “… He didn’t back down…”

Me: (Silence)

I gave Mr. Mack a card of mines and told him about my blog. He pointed to the email address on my card and asked, “How do I call this number?”

I laughed, and explained the process of email.

He didn’t laugh.

Mr. Mack: “Well, you’re a journalist… When are you going to come down here and show off?”

Me: “Show off?”

Mr. Mack: (lowers his glasses): “Show. Off.”

Me: “Show you some of my work?”

Mr. Mack: “Yea, ‘show off’ !!!”

…

I shook Mr. Mack’s hand and told him I would come back with an article.

I came back later that afternoon, the chalk on the asphalt was still there- but Mr. Mack wasn’t.

….

Aug 2nd, 2012 marked the 5th anniversary of Chauncey Bailey’s death. En route to Mr. Mack, with the article which he requested in hand, I walked past the spot where Bailey was assassinated. I briefly spoke with a local news crew who was covering the story of the well respected Black journalist from Oakland who was killed on the job, then continued on to meet Mr. Mack.

I delivered Mr. Mack the article, and simultaneously asked him if he knew that today was the anniversary of Chauncey Bailey’s death; he had no idea.

Mr. Mack: “I used to see Chauncey Bailey walk down this street on his way to work at the Oakland Post all the time- I never spoke to him tho… but I read his work… he was good.”

…

I now understand how the world works… just a little bit more.

“… the mind is an unexplored planet.”-...

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 23:32:00 -0700

“… the mind is an unexplored planet.”- Jack.

After mailing a parcel to my Grandmother in Alabama, I stepped out of the Civic Center Post Office in Downtown Oakland with two 1-dollar bills and a handful of loose change. The recipient of that cash was a man I have came accustomed to seeing on the post office stairs. After introducing myself, the gentleman stated that his name is “Jack”. His eloquent upbeat speech surprised me, and then he complimented me on my beard, another surprise.

“Jack”, is a native Mississippian, who spent his developing years in Chicago, and eventually landed in the Bay Area where he worked until his dug addiction overcame his ambition.

When asked what message he would tell the youth, “Jack” clearly stated: “Be careful with those drugs… the mind is an unexplored planet.”