History of Gangs

[nattyreb]

Bro. Sundiata wrote and read this poem at a recent "spoken word" event at the prison!

HISTORY OF GANGS (6/08)
by POW Sundiata Acoli

There were gangs since the earliest of times
This is some of their history made into rhyme
Their real name is Street Organization: a band of Brothers
With their own rules, signs, sister sets and their own colors.
In the '40s Chicago's King David and Latino jail-mates
Started the Latin Kings which spread thru the Midwest to Northeastern states.
New York in the '50s had Black gangs, White gangs, Puerto Rican and Chinese.
Each had their own turf, all fought each other in the streets.
Blacks were Chaplains, Bishops and Corsair Lords, Puerto Ricans were Dragons
And Kings and Whites were East Side Kids.
By the '60s most of them had succumbed to drugs,
They were either chasing scag or were doing prison bids.
In '68 Lumumba Shakur, ex-War Lord of the Bishops,
Opened the Harlem Panther office for which he's remembered, even worshipped.
So whenever you hear the name Afeni, Tupac, or Mutulu Shakur,
Know they all trace their names back to Lumumba for sure.
The GDs began in the '60s by that same King David.
Their colors are the same as the Panthers,
Blue and black, like they're the one who gave it.
In '68 the Panthers offered L.A. gangs a new direction:
Combatting injustice and representing their hood.
Bunchy Carter of the feared Slausons answered the call,
He was tired of destroying his people and was ready to do them good.
Raymond Washington and Tookie Williams hung out
At the Community Relations for Independent People (C.R.I.P.) youth center.
In '69 they formed the CRIPS,
Took Blue as their color and the Panthers as their mentor.
But the government hit the Panthers
And stomped them in the mud.
Without guidance the CRIPS made their foe the BRIMS
Who became in '70 the citywide BLOODS.
Their colors are RED and they spread and grew,
Using guns and rocks, Rap cds and their crews.
Other set grew too
And the gangwar and violence is giving the Black Community the Blues.
Slowly some sets are trying to change for the better,
Others are still set on just getting the cheddar.
Black people are calling for Stop the Violence,
Thug Codes, Black Agendas or whatever will do.
We've got to find a solution to this problem
Else the Black Community is through!

(end)

Send some love to our Brotha!

Bro. Sundiata Acoli (Squire)
#39794-066
P.O. Box 1000
FCI Otisville
Otisville, NY 10963-1000