Welcoming Troy Williams, new Bay View editor
June 30, 2017
Editorial by Troy WilliamsDear Bay View,
Troy Williams – Photo: Uncommon Law
My name is Troy Williams. On Monday, Juneteenth, Black Liberation Day, I agreed to be the editor for the Bay View newspaper. It is with great honor, respect and much consideration that I step into this position.
I recognize that over the past 40-plus years the Bay View has been a voice for the people. Simply put, we speak truth to power, logic to the illogical, from the perspective of those who seldom have a platform to speak from. And, what greater truth is there than examples of people whose lives have been touched, transformed and empowered by what they read in the Bay View newspaper.
I first heard of the Bay View while serving time in prison. Two and a half years ago, I was serving a life sentence and paroled from San Quentin State Prison with $200 to my name, a skill set and a plan for my life. As we move forward, I will share more about me. But for the purposes of this introduction, I will state that I am most noted for founding a media organization inside the walls of San Quentin.
Dr.
Willie Ratcliff, Bay View publisher since 1991, welcomes the Bay View’s
new editor, Troy Williams. – Photo: Francisco Da Costa
My resume includes working in some capacity to produce, write, direct, film, edit and/or assist with the organization of most video and radio productions done inside San Quentin between 2007 and 2014. I was one of the early members and among the first journalists reporting for the San Quentin News when it was reinvigorated in 2008 after a 25-year hiatus.
I cofounded the first satellite chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists inside a prison in the United States. I am also co-founder of the Financial Literacy Program at San Quentin and FEEL (Financial Empowerment Emotional Literacy) philosophy in partnership with Curtis “Wall Street” Carroll.
I have co-organized restorative justice symposiums, health fairs, job fairs, numerous self-help workshops, as well as initiated the efforts to present a TED talk at San Quentin prior to my parole. TED talks began in 1984 as a conference about Technology, Entertainment and Design. Today, independently run TEDx events help share ideas in more than 100 languages in communities around the world. Former presidents, famous activists, scholars and celebrities have given TED talks. I was fortunate to be able to walk back into San Quentin a free man with my eldest daughter to speak at TEDx San Quentin.
Troy
founded the San Quentin Prison Report, but it wasn’t easy, he says.
Guards weren’t used to seeing prisoners with cameras gathering news.
Keith
Wattley of Uncommon Law was the attorney who helped Troy win his
freedom, and on Nov. 16, 2016, Troy spoke at Uncommon Law’s 10th
Anniversary Celebration in Oakland. – Photo: Scott Braley
Troy
speaks often with decision makers – here with Congresswoman Barbara Lee
– about urgently needed improvements to criminal justice law and
policy.
For over 40 years, writers for the Bay View have shed the light of truth in some of the darkest of places. And now that some of us have been removed from those dark places, the time has come for us to stand together and share our insights in a manner that will continue to strengthen our voices and move us beyond the pitfalls that came before or lie ahead.
On that note, it is with humble gratitude that I accept the position as editor of the Bay View newspaper. I am grateful to all the elders who came before and will be looking to you for support and guidance. Thank you to all the staff, volunteers and supporters who have held this paper down throughout the years. Thank you, Willie and Mary Ratcliff, for believing in me.
Thank you, Paul Cobb, publisher of Oakland Post, for providing my first opportunity to work for an outside newspaper when I came home. And thank you to all the men and women across this country, whether still serving time or home free, for being examples of what real transformation looks like. You are not forgotten. It’s time for change.
Bay View Editor Troy Williams can be reached at troy@sfbayview.com or 415-671-0789.
Oakland's PAUL TILLMAN SMITH is not one of modern soul big "names", but the drummer/percussionist has been in the business for almost four decades and in that time he's created some quite beautiful music that deserves a larger audience and as items from his back catalogue are now being reissued and re-promoted, the time is right to get to know Paul Tillman Smith a whole lot better!
To offer an overview of his career, back in 2013 Mr. Tillman Smith released the retrospective album 'Bed Ballads' credited to 'Park Place Presents Paul Tillman Smith'. The long player brought together his best performances from his forty year career and amongst the vocalists on the album are dear Phyllis Hyman (on 'As You Are') and Lenny Williams (whose 'Invisible man' is one of his very best). Want more? Well the musicians number people like Pharaoh Sanders, the Brecker Brothers, Jon Faddis, James Gadson, Mtume, Bobby Lyles, Wah Wah Watson and David T. Walker. The producer, by the way, is someone called Norman Connors! 'Bed Ballads' is a wonderful piece of work and so aptly named! Indeed 'Bed Ballads' is like a Norman Connors' set for the 21st century!
Paul's newest album is the equally excellent 'A Beautiful Heart' and the album's title track offers a link to 'Bed Ballads'. The song featured on that album too but here it's given a very different treatment – tough and funky with vocals from American Idol finalist LaToya London. There's input on it from Rosie Gaines too and she's involved in another cut – a remix of the sweet 'Summer Sky'. Other vocalists include Skyler Jet and Donnie Williams (another American Idol finalist). Amongst other cuts, Donnie features on the gospel tune 'Precious Song' (another re-recorded item from, 'Bed Ballads') and it's just one of countless highlights. Indeed there's just so much good on 'A Beautiful Heart' and 'Bed Ballads' that's it's impossible to cherry pick highlights.
