Biography
Watani Stiner (he/him) is a revolutionary elder, social and restorative justice advocate, writer, speaker, and storyteller.
In 1969, Stiner and his brother were wrongfully convicted of conspiracy for the deaths of two Black Panther leaders killed by a member of Us, a Black cultural nationalist organization they belonged to. It was later revealed that the FBI’s COINTELPRO had conspired to create strife and violence between the two groups. They were sentenced to life in prison, but escaped from San Quentin after five years and fled to South America.
Twenty years later, Stiner surrendered voluntarily to the US to arrange safe passage for his children. Once in custody, the US government reneged on its agreement, and Stiner served twenty-one more years at San Quentin. He is a COINTELPRO victim and survivor.
His memoir, To Stumble Is Not to Fall: A Revolutionary’s Journey from United States’ Injustice, explores the human cost of political struggle, choices made in youth, and the enduring bonds of family and community. His writing also appears in the San Quentin News and in various interviews and public dialogues.
Paroled in 2015, Stiner lives in Oakland, where he writes, mentors younger voices, and participates in community conversations about history, healing, and justice.
