About the Stanley Tookie Williams – Founder of Crips & Now on Death Row (December 13, 2005)

Stanley Tookie Williams (born December 29, 1953) was the founder of the Crips - a Los Angeles, California youth protection organization that grew into one of the most widely-known and notorious street gangs.

In 1981 the state of California convicted Stanley Tookie Williams of murdering Albert Owen, Thsai-Shai Yang, Yen-I Yang, and Yee Chen Lin during two separate robberies and sentenced him to death. He is currently waiting on death row in San Quentin State Prison. The state denied a clemency request for Williams in 2005. Stanley Tookie Williams’ execution date has been set for December 13, 2005.
Since his conviction, he has denounced his life and his role as a gang leader, and writes from prison about the harmful effects of gang life. However, he maintains his innocence of the four murders.

Williams has written a series of children's books that have been popular around the world for their anti-violence message, and helped to broker a truce between the Bloods and the Crips. In 2004, a television movie about him, Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story was released. Jamie Foxx starred as Williams.

Williams was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, which some defenders have stated was done to gain greater publicity for his case.


About the Crips & Stanley Tookie Williams

The Crips are one of the Los Angeles, California gangs. The Crips are mostly identified by the blue color worn by their members and the gang is largely composed of African Americans but is multiracial in other cities where the gangs activities are active. The gang has an intense rivalry with the Bloods. What was once a single gang is now a loose network of "sets" around the United States. They are also known to feud with Chicano gangs. Stanley "Tookie" Williams (born December 29, 1953) was the founder of the Crips in 1971. The Crips main rivals are the Bloods.