Quanell X

Infobox Person
name = Quanell X

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image_size =
caption = Quanell X (center) at Joe Horn protest, December 2, 2007
birth_date = birth date and age|1970|12|07
birth_place = Los Angeles, California
death_date =
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occupation =
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children =

Quanell X (born Quanell Ralph Evans on December 7 1970 in Los Angeles, California) is a black supremacist leader of the New Black Panther Party in Houston, Texas. His father, Brian Chris Evans, and mother were both Nation of Islam converts from Los Angeles. After his parents divorced, Quanell moved to Houston to live with his mother and younger brother in the South Acres neighborhood and attended Worthing High School. cite news
last = Patterson
first = Randall
title = Would You Buy a Revolution From This Man?
work = Houston Press
date=1997-04-03
url = http://www.houstonpress.com/1997-04-03/news/would-you-buy-a-revolution-from-this-man/
accessdate = 2007-12-05 ]

Early life

Quanell was a drug dealer in the Sunnyside community located in southern Houston, Texas. cite news
last = Crowe
first = Robert
title = Destructive Force Mars Sunnyside's Rebirth
work = Houston Chronicle
url = http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2007_4274295
date=2001-01-27 ] In May 1989 he spent a brief time in jail and received 10 years probation for possessing and dealing crack cocaine. It was during this time that Quanell claims to have had a life changing conversion and decided he would devote his life to the betterment of African-Americans in Houston.

Entry and ejection from the Nation of Islam

In September 1990 Quanell was inspired by a Louis Farrakhan speech at Sam Houston Coliseum and joined the Nation of Islam. The newly dubbed Quanell X quickly became a spokesman in the organization. cite news
last = Freemantle
first = Tony
title = Vitriolic Visionary
work = Houston Chronicle
pages = 33
date=2001-03-01 ]

In July 1992 Quanell found his brother Quinten dead in his apartment with three others, all with bullets to their heads. He met State Representative Ron Wilson (D-Houston); he would eventually work for Wilson as an aide for a short while.In 1995, Quanell was quoted in the New York Daily News as saying,

"I say to Jewish America: Get ready … knuckle up, put your boots on, because we're ready and the war is going down. … The real deal is this: Black youth do not want a relationship with the Jewish community or the mainstream white community or the foot shuffling, head-bowing, knee bobbing black community. … All you Jews can go straight to hell."cite news | title=Quanell X statement, October 17, 1995 | publisher= New York Daily News | date=October 17 1995]

Quanell was forced out of the Nation of Islam for publicly inciting violence with his televised, and highly publicized, exhortation to Houston-area blacks:

" [i] f you feel that you just got to mug somebody because of your hurt and your pain, go to River Oaks and mug you some good white folks. If you’re angry that our brother is put to death, don’t burn down your own community, give these white folks hell from the womb to the tomb."Fact|date=December 2007

After leaving the Nation of Islam Quanell formed a paramilitary group named "MFOI", for "Mental Freedom Obtains Independence." The new faction did not attract significant membership. cite news
last = Sallee
first = Rad
title = Ex-Nation of Islam official to form 'paramilitary' group
work = Houston Chronicle
date= 1997-02-04
url = http://0-find.galegroup.com.catalog.houstonlibrary.org:80/ips/start.do?prodId=IPS
accessdate = 2007-12-27 ] After the MFOI failed Quanell joined the New Black Panther Party under the leadership of Khalid Abdul Muhammad and is now a local leader of the organization.

Community Activist

Since becoming a leader of the New Black Panthers Quanell has made himself and his views heard through public demonstrations and assistance with the surrender of outstanding suspects to law enforcement agencies.

In 1999, at the trial of John William King for the 1998 slaying of James Byrd, Jr., Quanell and his entourage briefly disrupted proceedings. cite news
last = Gwynne
first = S.C.
title = The Second Coming of a Nightmare
work = Time
url = http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,990338-1,00.html
date=2001-03-01 ]

Jeffrey Battle served as a bodyguard for Quanell X in Houston during the late 1990s. Battle was notable as one of the Portland Seven, a group of American Muslims who tried to aid the Taliban in Afghanistan following the events of September 11, 2001. In October 2002 Quanell traveled to Portland, Oregon, to attend a court hearing for October Lewis, Battle's ex-wife. Lewis was released at the hearing. Battle was convicted of sedition, and is currently serving an 18-year prison sentence.cite news
last = Hegstrom
first = Edward
title = Battle devoted to bin Laden, U.S. claims; Interviews cited at court hearing
work = The Houston Chronicle
pages =
date=2002-10-11
url =
accessdate = ]

On March 30 2004 Quanell took the podium at a Houston City Council meeting and demanded that reparations for slavery be put on the council agenda. This demand had previously been denied by mayor Bill White. The exchange escalated enough that Houston police were called to remove Quanell forcibly from the chamber. [http://www.houstontx.gov/citysec/agendas/2004/Mar3104.pdf]

In June 2004 Quanell was charged with evading arrest. He was on the phone with Executive Assistant Chief Charles A. McClelland of the Houston Police Department when arranging the surrender of cop shooter Derrick Forney. Quanell was convicted on a lesser charge of 'running from a police officer', a class-B misdemeanor in the State of Texas; on December 1 2006 the State of Texas First Court of Appeals overturned the conviction.

Quanell X is credited with helping officers in the March 2007 murder investigation of Texas A&M University student Tynesha Stewart.cite news |url=http://media.www.thebatt.com/media/storage/paper657/news/2007/03/29/News/Students.Friends.Mourn.Loss.Of.Houston.Native-2811691.shtml |title=Students, friends mourn loss of Houston native |publisher=The Battalion |accessdate=2007-03-29 |date=2007-03-29 |last=Measley |first=Travis] He helped obtain a confession from Timothy Wayne Shepherd, the suspect in the murder. [cite news
last = Crowe
first = Robert
title = Officers Grateful to Quanell X
work = The Houston Chronicle
pages = B5
date=2007-03-23
url = http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4654897.html
accessdate = 2007-03-24 ] He also criticized the Harris County sheriff's decision not to search for Stewart's body in an Humble, Texas area landfill, which was later discovered to be unrecoverable due to suspect burning remains in two barbecue pits.cite news
last = Hewitt
first = Paige
coauthors = Villafranca, Armando
title = Agony, Anger Over Decision Not to Hunt for Teen's Body
work = Houston Chronicle
pages = A1
date=2007-03-23 ] cite news
last = Freemantle
first = Tony
title = Vitriolic Visionary
work = Houston Chronicle
pages = 33
date=2001-03-01 ]

Quanell X called for Chuck Rosenthal's resignation following the email scandal that showed that he had sent and received racist messages, and organized a rally to take place outside the county courthouse January 24, 2008. [Cite web
title = Black leaders urge Rosenthal to step down
work = chron.com, Houston Chronicle
date = 2008-01-12
accessdate = 2008-06-21
url = http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2008_4493621]

He was instrumental in having a murder suspect, Randy Sylvester Sr., reveal the locations of his missing children. After initially giving Sylvester the benefit of the doubt, he was convinced otherwise when he went with Pasadena police and Sylvester to an apartment he maintained separately from his family's that he called his "dog house." There, Sylvester engaged in drugs and pornography. Quanell would not go into detail, but other things he learned in that apartment changed his mind about Sylvester. He convinced the suspect to "Do the right thing" and lead Quanell X and police to a location just outside of Pasadena, Texas in Houston, where the charred remains were located. [cite news
last = Ruiz
first = Rosanna
title = Police: Burned bodies of missing Pasadena children found
work = Houston Chronicle
url = http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5847134.html
date = 2008-06-21] [cite news
last = Leahy
first = Jennifer
title = The Discovery All Had Feared
work = Houston Chronicle
pages = A1
date=2008-06-22] [cite web
last = Leahy
first = Jennifer
last2 = Ruiz
first2 = Rosanna
last3 = Glenn
first3 = Mike
title = Father led the way to the discovery all had feared
work = Houston Chronicle
url = http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/pasadena/news/5850301.html
date = 2008-06-22
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-06-23] [cite web
last = Flores
first = Rosa
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Quanell X: Time with slain kids' father 'like diving into the depths of hell'
work = KHOU
publisher =
date = 2008-06-23
url = http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou080621_mp_quanellx.27a00518.html
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-06-23]

Joe Horn protest

Quanell X attempted to lead a rally in a neighborhood of Pasadena, Texas on December 2, 2007, in front of the home of Joe Horn, the man who shot and killed Hernando Riascos Torres (aka Miguel Antonio DeJesus) and Diego Ortiz, illegal aliens and members of a burglary and fake ID ring from Colombia who broke into his neighbor's house. Horn, against repeated requests of the 911 operator not to confront the burglars, exited his home to confront them. On the tape of the 911 call, Horn is heard to say "Move, and you're dead", and fire his shotgun two times. Under Texas law, an individual is allowed to use deadly force to protect his property.cite news
title = Pasadena police give DA report on Horn
last = Horswell
first = Cindy
work = Houston Chronicle
date= 2007-12-18
url= ] Quanell, who believed the shootings may have been racially motivated, approached Horn's house to speak to the media. He was greatly outnumbered by several hundred counter-protesters supporting Horn. The crowd of counter-protesters included bikers revving their motorcycles, many of them chanting, "USA," "Go home," and "We love our country; what do you love?" while waving placards and US flags. Quanell could not be heard over the noise, even when using a bullhorn. Quanell left the area about eight minutes later, having been unsuccessful in attempting to speak. He returned soon after with more supporters and attempted to speak again, but the counter-protests continued. Riot police were readied in case of violence between the two groups. Quanell believed that because Horn was white and not black, he was not prosecuted (even though at the time the District Attorney had not made a ruling). On June 25, 2008 the case was sent to a grand jury to decide whether or not Horn should go to trial. The grand jury relocated due to death threats. On June 30, Horn was cleared by a Harris County Grand Jury in the deaths of Ortiz and Diego. [Cite web
title = Protest over slain burglars takes a confrontational turn
work = chron.com, Houston Chronicle
date = 2007-12-03
author = Jennifer Leahy
accessdate = 2008-06-21
url = http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2007_4471491] [ [http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=5809394 KTRK.com's video] ] Quanell eventually made a speech on another street away from Horn's house. The speech included chants of "black power" and the exhortation for blacks to ignore "white law." On June 30, 2008 a Harris County grand jury cleared Mr. Horn in the Pasadena shootings after two weeks of testimony. [ [http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5864151.html Joe Horn cleared by grand jury in Pasadena shootings] ]

Apologies

On January 28 2008, after taking a tour of the Holocaust Museum Houston, Quanell said he became enlightened and apologized for his past statements on Jews.

"I seek the forgiveness of every survivor who has heard the words I've said. I did not say them in the proper manner to make the point I was trying to get across. I can see and understand how they might be utterly paranoid (of) a person such as myself."

He has been challenging those within the community that sympathize with Osama bin Laden. [ [http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2008_4503594 Quanell X seeks to make amends] ]

References

External links

cite news
last = McVicker
first = Steve
title = Hanging with Mr. X: Quanell comes on strong at Graham's execution, then vanishes
work = Houston Press
date=2000-06-29
url = http://www.houstonpress.com/2000-06-29/news/hanging-with-mr-x/full
accessdate = 2007-12-26