Stanley Tookie Williams
Stanley Tookie Williams III was an American gangster who co-founded and led the Crips gang in Los Angeles.
Business Figure
December 29, 1953
Capricorn
December 13, 2005
51
New Orleans, Louisiana
Stanley Tookie Williams III (December 29, 1953 â December 13, 2005) was an American gangster who, along with Raymond Washington, co-founded and led the Crips gang in Los Angeles in 1971. This alliance established the Crips as the city’s first major African-American street gang, with Williams serving as its de facto leader during the 1970s and becoming a prominent crime boss in South Los Angeles.
In addition to his role in founding the Crips, Williams gained recognition for his work advocating against crime and violence. He authored several books promoting peace and education, such as “Gangs and Drugs,” “Life in Prison,” “Blueprint for Peace,” and “Peacemaker.” He also founded the Redemption Project, an initiative aimed at preventing youth from joining gangs, and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize multiple times for his activism.
Williams also became an advocate for animal rights while in prison, writing children’s books about endangered species to encourage learning about and protecting wildlife. Some of these books have been incorporated into school curriculums for educational purposes.
Other notable achievements and works by Williams include his involvement in the Internet Project for Street Peace, mentoring young people to deter them from gang involvement, and writing nine anti-gang books for teenagers under the series title “Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence.”
Despite his efforts towards redemption, Williams was executed by lethal injection in 2005 for the murder of four people.
