Marvin X, grandson Jah Amiel ( who told his grandfather at three years old, "Grandfather, you can't save the world, but I can!") and brother Oliver W. Jackmon, II, who joined the ancestors today in Oakland CA. They are seated at Marvin's Academy of da Corner, 14th and Broadway. After getting his medication at Walgreen's and cigarettes from the tobacco shop (No doubt his smoking habit caused the throat cancer that led to his demise), Ollie would often sit, chat and observe his baby brother at work (Ishmael Reed said "If you want to learn about inspiration and motivation, , don't spend all that money going to workshops and seminars, just go stand at 14th and Broadway and watch Marvin X at work. He's Plato teaching on the streets of Oakland.").
Oliver W. Jackmon, II, 73, oldest of the six children of Owendell Jackmon, I and Marian Murrill Jackmon, passed away today at Oakland's Summit Hospital after suffering heart failure at his Lake Merritt apartment, where he lived around the corner from his infamous younger brother ( one year separated them) Marvin X.
Marvin X immortalized his brother in his most famous Black Arts Movement play Flowers for the Trashman. The play made reference to his brother doing time at Soledad Prison. His brother was unknown but was involved in the American prison movement that evolved at Soledad Prison. The most well known fellow inmates of Ollie Jackmon were George Jackson, Eldridge Cleaver and Alprintice Bunchy Carter.
Beginning with juvenile hall in Fresno (a few times both Jackmon boys were in juvenile hall at the same time (only Marvin's grades saved him from CYA: honor student, juvenile delinquent), and graduating to California Youth Authority and on to San Quentin, Folsom and Soledad, Oliver's last prison term was in Washington State where he did twelve years for gun violence.
Upon his release, he returned to Oakland and moved near Lake Merritt where he and his brother finally had a brotherly relationship after they missed he others love during their teenage and adult years due to Ollie's incarceration.
Ollie leaves behind a son, Mario, in Houston, Texas. Mario grew up as a square, protected by his mother who guided and protected him for the criminal life of his father. When Mario told his father he wanted to be like him, Ollie said, "Son, don't you see what the criminal life got me. You don't want to live the life I lived! Do you want to live most of your life in prison?"
Ollie leaves behind five sisters: Judy, Ann, Debbie, Suzie, Gale and two brothers, Marvin and Tommy, and numerous nieces and nephews throughout California, Portland OR, Seattle WA, East coast, Dirty South, Europe, Caribbean and Africa.
Ollie leaves behind five sisters: Judy, Ann, Debbie, Suzie, Gale and two brothers, Marvin and Tommy, and numerous nieces and nephews throughout California, Portland OR, Seattle WA, East coast, Dirty South, Europe, Caribbean and Africa.
He requested cremation, no memorial. In his own words, he said, "Don't say a motherfuckin' thing bout me, don't say shit!" Nice words for a career criminal who was gentle as a lamb until crossed.
I have already violated my brothers request with the above words. Let me conclude by saying I loved him dearly and missed him much growing up, but I am happy we were able to spend the last few years around the corner from each other. He loved solitude and so do I so I gave him his space. May the ancestors be pleased with him.
Ollie, in spite of your negrocities (Amiri Baraka term) I always thought you were a better man, i.e., human being, than I am.
People said he was a great guy until you crossed him. I never crossed my brother!--well, until today because he told me don't say shit about him! lol
For sure, he was among the warriors of the American Prison Movement and Black Liberation Movement. As prison griot Kumasi says, "You guys had your revolution on the outside while we had ours inside the prisons walls. It was kill or be killed, so we did what we had to do to survive down in the dungeon, the American Gulag!"
FYI, one of his homeboys from Fresno was Willie Sundiata Tate of the San Quentin Six. Tate said that last time I saw Ollie was San Quentin Prison, 1968. After his final release, Tale wanted to meet with Ollie, but my brother declined to meet with his fellow inmates, again, he came to love solitude.
I did my best to give him his space because as a writer I understand the need for solitude. My brother told me when he was fighting his last case, he could have gotten more time off his case if he'd stayed in county jail and fought the case, but he chose to return to prison so he would not lose his single cell.
We want the world to know our sister Debbie assisted Ollie in his last days and he literally suffered a heart attack in her arms. So we love you Debbie for being there for our beloved brother. We know you are stressing greatly at this hour, so may the Creator relieve your stress and grant you peace of mind. Surely after difficulty comes ease says Allah!
We lost two of our siblings this year: Donna and Ollie, so our family is suffering grief. We understand death is part of life and one cannot separate the two. Let me end with a quote from my poem for Monk: Round Midnight:
...Death is always round
tryin ta steal life
Death is always round
tryin ta steal life
if it don't get the husband
it get the wife.....
--Marvin X
As-Salaam-Alaikum, Big Brother, Ollie, Appreciate You!
Ollie, in spite of your negrocities (Amiri Baraka term) I always thought you were a better man, i.e., human being, than I am.
People said he was a great guy until you crossed him. I never crossed my brother!--well, until today because he told me don't say shit about him! lol
For sure, he was among the warriors of the American Prison Movement and Black Liberation Movement. As prison griot Kumasi says, "You guys had your revolution on the outside while we had ours inside the prisons walls. It was kill or be killed, so we did what we had to do to survive down in the dungeon, the American Gulag!"
FYI, one of his homeboys from Fresno was Willie Sundiata Tate of the San Quentin Six. Tate said that last time I saw Ollie was San Quentin Prison, 1968. After his final release, Tale wanted to meet with Ollie, but my brother declined to meet with his fellow inmates, again, he came to love solitude.
I did my best to give him his space because as a writer I understand the need for solitude. My brother told me when he was fighting his last case, he could have gotten more time off his case if he'd stayed in county jail and fought the case, but he chose to return to prison so he would not lose his single cell.
We want the world to know our sister Debbie assisted Ollie in his last days and he literally suffered a heart attack in her arms. So we love you Debbie for being there for our beloved brother. We know you are stressing greatly at this hour, so may the Creator relieve your stress and grant you peace of mind. Surely after difficulty comes ease says Allah!
We lost two of our siblings this year: Donna and Ollie, so our family is suffering grief. We understand death is part of life and one cannot separate the two. Let me end with a quote from my poem for Monk: Round Midnight:
...Death is always round
tryin ta steal life
Death is always round
tryin ta steal life
if it don't get the husband
it get the wife.....
--Marvin X
As-Salaam-Alaikum, Big Brother, Ollie, Appreciate You!
Marvin X. Jackmon
12/22/16