I don't know if you have noticed this, but over the past 4 or 5 years I've noticed more and more Bloods and Crips around town. There are some Folk tags and other local gangs as well, but they don't stand out as loud as the Blue and Red of the Bloods and Crips.
When I talk to people in the streets about these developments, people seem to have just accepted it. Kids will be kids, boys will be boys and idle hands often find mischief, to be certain. But where did these gangs come from? What infrastructure made them possible and what purpose do they serve for our youth? Why do they turn to them? These are complicated questions and the answers can be hard to pin down.
HBO aired a program called "Bastards of the Party" created by an OG Blood by the name of
Cle "Bone" Sloane not too long agoin '05 that delved into this issue. Did you know that these gangs were created to protect black neighborhoods from racist terrorism? Or that the Crips were at one time working hand in hand with LA government and private groups to facilitate social change?
Where did these groups go wrong? What led them down such a slippery slope? Answers lie in the work of this current Gang member attempting to bring his gang and others back to the essence from which they were created. I get tired having these debates with intelligent people about why these issues continue to prevail with youth of many ages, backgrounds and races. The fact remains that if we don't find proper endeavors for youth to immerse themselves in, the streets will. Do we want that? Here are a few excerpts from "Bastards of the party"
Labels: atlanta gangs, bastards of the party
posted by FireBrand at
2:39 AM
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