W.L. Nolen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | December 13, 1943 |
| Died | January 13, 1970 Soledad Prison, California |
| Cause of death | Gunshot wounds |
| Known for | Co-founder of the Black Guerrilla Family |
W.L. Nolen (December 13, 1943 – January 13, 1970)[1] was an American convict who co-founded the Black Guerrilla Family in San Quentin State Prison in 1966 along with George Jackson.[2] Nolen is considered the mentor of Jackson and is often credited with introducing Jackson to radical left-wing politics.[3]
On January 13, 1970, Nolen and two other black inmates were shot dead by a guard in Soledad Prison, during a fight between black and white inmates in the prison's new exercise yard.[4] Nolen's death set off a chain of events within the California prison system, beginning with the retaliatory murder of a prison guard in Soledad Prison on January 16, 1970, which George Jackson and two other inmates were accused of. In the subsequent 19 months, 19 murders within the California prison system were directly linked with Nolen's death.[5]
- ^ Ouagadougou, Mbutu A. (May 12, 2022). The Black Guerrilla Family 1966 – 1971: The Violent History of California's Most Notorious Prison Gang. Plebiscite Publishing Company. p. 100. ISBN 979-8808864979.
- ^ Bailey, Frankie Y.; Chermak, Steven (2016). Crimes of the Centuries [3 Volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 407. ISBN 9781610695947.
- ^ James, Joy (2004). Imprisoned Intellectuals: America's Political Prisoners Write on Life, Liberation, and Rebellion. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 85. ISBN 9780585455082.
- ^ Williams, Talib (April 4, 2020). "Soledad uncensored: Racism and the hyper-policing of Black bodies, Part 1". San Francisco Bay View. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
- ^ Yee, Min S. (1973). The Melancholy History of Soledad Prison. Harper's Magazine Press. ISBN 9780061298004.