I never had the opportunity to meet Dr. Wilson, he passed not too long after I moved to NYC, so I didn’t know him personally, but I was well aware of his research and writings.
Dr. Phil Valentine, who knew Dr. Wilson personally once stated that he had a some chronic health issues, Dr. Valentine also stated that he encouraged Dr. Wilson to adopt a holistic diet and take other natural steps to address his issue, but Dr. Wilson wasn’t interested, he was more focused on his work and his mission.
I know many Revolutionaries from Dr. Wilson’s era came up in a time where there was a stark separation between Politics and the Holistic Health Movement. Many on the Black Militant Left saw the Holistic Health Movement as being part of the Hippie, the Free Love, and Pacifist, and New Age Spirituality Movements; and they were not incorrect because those Reactionary Movement did embrace Veganism, Meditation, Herbalism, Alternative Medicine, Yoga, etc.
Many of our Freedom Fighters and Revolutionary Scholars ate swine, smoked cigarettes, and struggled for liberation; and if you came with holistic health take they’d make fun of you. Even in the early 90s when I became active I was still the case, I worked hard to inject Veganism, Holistic Health, and Chronic Disease Prevention, Ecology, and Animal Rights into the Black Liberation Struggle. I’m still struggling to.
I never had the opportunity to meet Wilson, but I had a similar experience with his contemporary, Del Jones. He came to give a talk at our bookstore and we offered him some Vegan dishes, and he laughed and asked for some “real food.” He, very late in life did adopt a Vegan Lifestyle, thanks to the work of his woman; Sister Q, but it was too late, he also passed of Cardiac disease brought on by his diet. I’ve had this same experience with other Revolutionist from that era, and even with Revolutionist my age and younger.
So, as far as I know, all of the people I know who knew and worked with Dr. Wilson, From Dr. Valentine to Dr. Marimba Ani have not suggested that there was any foul play associate with his death, it was actually health related issues that lead to his untimely passing.
Even our Revolutionist that live into their 80s and 90s, like Dr. Clarke, Dr. Ben, and Prof. Mackey; they are plagued by chronic diseases that debilitate and pain them in their elder years. So, even our long lived Heroes need to be educated and encourage to embrace Veganism and holistic health.
Veganism will not free us, but it will preserve us to fight and struggle at our full capacity.
Finally, we should always suspect, and be very suspicious of the System, our our Oppressors; every untimely death is on their hands cuz they erected and sustained the Omnicidal System that’s killing all ecosystems and shortening all of our lifespans.
But we should also make sure we get and stand on the facts, so that we can implement the best corrections and counters to the System and our Oppressors.
If evidence is presented pointing to foul play in Wilson’s death I’d be the first to share it.