William Lee Brent
Encyclopedia
William Lee Brent was a Black Panther Party
member who hijacked a passenger jet to Cuba in 1969 and spent 37 years in exile
in Cuba
.
. William used a handgun to hijack TWA Flight 154 from San Francisco to Havana on June 17, 1969. He spent 22 months in an immigration jail in Cuba when he arrived but was released. He earned a Spanish literature degree from the University of Havana
and taught English at various junior and senior high schools. He never became a Cuban citizen but married travel writer Jane McManus (ca. 1920 - 2005). They had met and married in Cuba. In a 1996 interview with Associated Press
, he said he missed the United States and the American black community. But he was unwilling to return to the United States to face life imprisonment for air piracy and kidnapping. Around 1996, Times Books
published his memoirs, Long Time Gone. (ISBN 0-595-00288-9)
According to Amy Goodman, host of radio/tv program "Democracy Now" (November 22, 2006), William Lee Brent died in Cuba of pneumonia on November 4, 2006 at age 75.
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982....
member who hijacked a passenger jet to Cuba in 1969 and spent 37 years in exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
Biography
He had a sister Elouise Rawlins in Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. William used a handgun to hijack TWA Flight 154 from San Francisco to Havana on June 17, 1969. He spent 22 months in an immigration jail in Cuba when he arrived but was released. He earned a Spanish literature degree from the University of Havana
University of Havana
The University of Havana or UH is a university located in the Vedado district of Havana, Cuba. Founded in 1728, the University of Havana is the oldest university in Cuba, and one of the first to be founded in the Americas...
and taught English at various junior and senior high schools. He never became a Cuban citizen but married travel writer Jane McManus (ca. 1920 - 2005). They had met and married in Cuba. In a 1996 interview with Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, he said he missed the United States and the American black community. But he was unwilling to return to the United States to face life imprisonment for air piracy and kidnapping. Around 1996, Times Books
Times Books
Times Books is a publishing imprint owned by The New York Times Company and licensed to Henry Holt and Company....
published his memoirs, Long Time Gone. (ISBN 0-595-00288-9)
According to Amy Goodman, host of radio/tv program "Democracy Now" (November 22, 2006), William Lee Brent died in Cuba of pneumonia on November 4, 2006 at age 75.