Award winning journalist and former editor-in-chief Marcus Henderson paroles after nearly three decades of incarceration.
As San Quentin News celebrates another successful story – the power of redemption, friends of the man passionately known as “Wali” shared memories of Henderson’s time with San Quentin News.
“When ‘Wali’ joined the newspaper as a journalism guild student, he published a total of 38 stories in one year,’” said former associate editor and SQ resident Kevin D. Sawyer, who will succeed Henderson as editor-in-chief.
Henderson’s first reporting experience for the Journalism Guild led him to covering a sports event where he was asked to interview outside visitors during a baseball game.
“Right there I just realized how much of [me] was bottled up, and locked up, after years of incarceration,” Henderson said. “I hadn’t talked to any outside people for like 15 years at this time. I was shaking and nervous.”
The conversation Henderson said was playing out in his mind was, “The only people I ever talked to was incarcerated people and correctional officers. I hadn’t really got to talk to the community, so I didn’t know what to say.” Henderson recalls this as being a totally new experience for him.
“Wali was a very fast learner,” said UC Berkeley professor William Drummond. “What I like about him is that he never made the same mistake twice. I also like that he is a straight shooter with an even temper. He never lost his temper and he was comfortable to be around.”
In 2020, the California News Publishers Association awarded Henderson with a journalism award, one of five awarded to Henderson during his tenure.
Former SQNews layout designer and Spanish Journalism Guild Chairman Juan Espinoza worked with Henderson for years. He recalled how Henderson was always willing to help others and that he never acted out of character.
“Wali was the same giving person every day that I’ve known him,” Espinoza said. Espinoza considers Henderson a good friend and someone who fights against injustice and for inclusivity.
Henderson has also played an integral role in organizing symposiums with district attorneys and public defenders from counties such as San Francisco, Alameda, and Santa Clara. He coordinated events including Victim/Defender dialogues, Victims Awareness forums, Juneteenth, and Kwanzaa.
Henderson also made it a point to highlight the diverse cultures here at San Quentin.
He mentored the youth of the Miami Youth Academy through correspondence, and became so invested in creating new narratives for those who felt left out, he started the group “Bridging the Generational Gap,” a peer led group that brought to life in-depth discussions between older and younger generations. The discussions centered around topics such as financial literacy, family relationships, trauma, and overcoming adversity.
Juan M. Haines, a veteran journalist who worked at San Quentin News for 14 years, recalls Henderson’s dedication to the paper.
“I know his biggest challenge came when COVID-19 hit. He was tasked with getting the newspaper out under extraordinary circumstances and he was remarkable. He showed his grit, dedication, and commitment to prison journalism. He is in the right place now, a free man,” Haines said.
Amir Shabazz, 73, has known Henderson for over 10 years. With Henderson’s guidance, Shabazz started writing for the paper in 2016. He was a contributing writer during the pandemic. According to Shabazz, Henderson did a lot for the community, especially for people of color. However, the narrative was not only about Black people.
“When I speak about Wali and his legacy, I have to start with the Islamic community. He participated in several self-help groups with me, and when the floor was open he was one of the first to have his hand up ready to participate,” Shabazz said.
Former SQ resident and Empowerment Avenue co-founder Rashaan “New York” Thomas had this to say about Henderson: “When I was at a level IV [maximum security prison] with Wali, we were working on a book together titled ‘Why We Won’t Tell.’ The book was about making a point instead of trying to make people tell on each other. Why not just built communities, is the question?” Thomas asked.
“He [Wali] started writing for the sport section of SQNews and before I knew it, the outside community gave him some kind of an award for best writing. Next thing I knew he had become Editor-in-Chief of SQNews,” added Thomas.
