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 2nd 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
