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Barbara Becnel was in attendance at the execution of Stanley "Tookie" Williams, as one of his chosen witnesses. After a prolonged and agonized execution process, Mr. Willams was pronounced dead. Join us as Ms. Becnel discusses the broader implications of the "theater of death".

Barbara Cottman Becnel has worked as a legislative and public policy analyst in Washington, D.C., focusing on youth unemployment and urban economic development. She has also served as program manager and senior research analyst for the Los Angeles County Private Industry Council. For the past ten years, Ms. Becnel has worked to develop innovative youth violence programs for nonprofit groups in the Bay Area, South Central Los Angeles and other parts of the nation.

 

Ms. Becnel has written over 100 feature stories for newspapers and magazines, as well as 12 nonfiction books on a variety of subjects, including drug addiction and treatment, parenting practices, youth violence prevention and the culture of adolescent street gangs.

 

Recently executed San Quentin death-row prisoner and reformed street gang leader Stanley “Tookie” Williams conceived the Internet Project for Street Peace and the curriculum is based on the nine anti-gang and anti-violence books for youth that he and Ms. Becnel co-authored. These extraordinary accomplishments garnered Mr. Williams and the Neighborhood House of North Richmond (a grass-roots social service agency of which Ms. Becnel is executive director) Nobel Peace Prize nominations in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005.

 

Copies of Blue Rage, Black Redemption; A Memoir by Stanley “Tookie” Williams and Life In Prison, co-authored by Mr. Williams and Ms. Becnel, will be available for purchase at the event.