Barbara Becnel

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Barbara Cottman Becnel (born May 30, 1950 ) is an American author , journalist and film producer .

Life

Barbara Becnel was a close friend and advocate of Crips co- founder Stan Tookie Williams (a convicted murderer and former gang boss who later became an anti-gang activist and writer), and the editor of Williams' series of children's books in which he himself appeared spoke out against gang crime. Williams was executed in 2005 . In the 2004 film Redemption , which Becnel co-produced, award-winning actress Lynn Whitfield played the role of Becnel.

Becnel attended Williams' execution as one of his witnesses. After he was pronounced dead, she stood up along with two friends, TV maker Shirley Neal and film producer Rudy Langlais, yelling that California had now executed an innocent man. After the execution she said:

“We are going to prove his innocence, and when we do, we are going to show that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is, in fact, himself a cold blooded murderer. "

"We are going to prove his innocence, and if we do we will show that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is indeed a cold-blooded murderer himself."

Williams asked Becnel to arrange the arrangements for his funeral, which was held at the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles on December 20, 2005. More than 3,000 people attended Williams' memorial service. On June 25, 2006, a Sunday, Becnel and Neal scattered Williams' ashes in a lake in Thokoza Park in Soweto , South Africa, as requested . In February 2009, published Becnel and Neal Tribute: Stanley Tookie Williams, 1953-2005, turned one of them and produced documentary.

With the announcement of her intention to defeat Schwarzenegger in the next gubernatorial election in California , Becnel ran for the Democratic Party for nomination in 2006. She received the third highest vote of eight applicants, behind Phil Angelides and Steve Westly . Becnel made history because she was the first black female Democrat to stand for nomination. Her campaign was down to earth and received media attention. She raised enough money to use television and radio spots to promote her candidacy in the last week of the campaign. Becnel received 66,544 votes, corresponding to 2.7% of all votes cast.

Becnel publicly denounced Democratic gubernatorial candidates Angelides and Westly for supporting the death penalty . She is also open to other social issues such as environmental and immigration policy. Barbara Becnel's outspoken criticism of Angelides and Westly resulted in her not being invited to a number of key Democratic Party events during the general election season. This, coupled with differences over issues such as the death penalty, led to the Democratic Party leaving in the early weeks of 2007. Becnel joined the Green Party of California, an offshoot of the Green Party (GPUs). When asked why she joined the Greens, Becnel replied:

"The Green Party is right on the issues — no ifs, ands, or buts."

"The Green Party is right on the topic - no ifs or buts."

- Barbara Becnel

Works (selection)

  • Parents Who Help Their Children Overcome Drugs (1990), Compcare Publications; ISBN 0-89638-218-4
  • The Co-Dependent Parent: Free Yourself by Freeing Your Child (1991), Harper San Francisco; ISBN 0-06-250126-7
    • The second disengagement: educate and let go (1992), Patmos-Verlag, Düsseldorf, Aus dem Amerika. trans. by Marion Schweizer, ISBN 3-491-50004-4
  • Life in Prison (2001), Seastar Books; ISBN 1-58717-093-0 (co-author)
  • Gangs and the Abuse of Power (1997), Hazelden Publishing & Educational Services; ISBN 1-56838-130-1 (co-author)
  • Gangs and Drugs (1997), Hazelden Publishing & Educational Services; ISBN 1-56838-135-2 (co-author)
  • Gangs and Self-Esteem (1997), PowerKids Press; ISBN 0-8239-2344-4 (co-author)
  • Gangs and Violence (1997), Hazelden Publishing & Educational Services; ISBN 1-56838-134-4 (co-author)
  • Gangs and Your Friends (1997), PowerKids Press; ISBN 0-8239-2341-X (co-author)
  • Gangs and Your Neighborhood (1997), Hazelden Information & Educational Services; ISBN 1-56838-137-9 (co-author)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ "Becnel states that Williams' funeral will be 'on the scale of Rosa Parks' recent funeral"
  2. ^ LA Times coverage of funeral of Stanley Tookie Williams
  3. ↑ Official election campaign website ( Memento from June 20, 2006 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ 2.7% of all votes cast ( Memento from February 15, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
  5. ^ Barbara Becnel: Why I joined the Green Party. (English), accessed November 2, 2014
  6. ↑ Becnel joins US Green Party , accessed September 26, 2013
personal data
SURNAME Becnel, Barbara
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Becnel, Barbara Cottman (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American writer, journalist and film producer
DATE OF BIRTH May 30, 1950