WHAT BETTER TIME THAN published with love by the Chapel ...

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TIME
THAN
NOW?

...notes on consciousness and unity in US cities and prisons

1 notes on women and violence what better time than now? 18

NOTES FROM SRUEAGGDEINSGTED
THE EDITOR
Blue Rage, Black Redemption, by Stanley Tookie Williams
The following is a piece written by a pris- speak of this reality. The USA Patriot Act, by B Scheppler
oner and comrade currently incarcerated All of these “rebellions” were repressed, Black Gangsters of Chicago, by R. Chepesiuk
in Western North Carolina. Drawn from isolated, or mediated in some way, but The Almighty Black Peace Stone Nation, by N. Moore
his personal experiences of prison life they have also managed to successfully The Black Hand, by C. Blatchford
and gang membership, as well as from communicate themselves to large groups This for the Mara Salvatrucha, by S. Logan
the theoretical and political insights of of people, and have lived on through the My Bloody Life: The Making of a Latin King, by R. Sanchez
New Afrikan, anarchist, and/or anti- experiences and relationships of those Inside the Crips, by C. Simpson
colonial writers like Lorenzo Komboa whose lives they changed. Moreover, the Monster, by Sanyika “Monster Kody” Shakur
Ervin, Russell Maroon Shoatz, Kevin rage we see in the anonymous crowds Blood in My Eye & Soledad Brother, by George Jackson
Rashid Johnson, and Frantz Fanon, this which form these upheavals is increas- Anarchism and the Black Revolution, by Lorenzo Komboa Ervin
piece attempts to answer some burning ingly difficult to manage. Certainly, these The Wretched of the Earth, by Frantz Fanon
questions regarding the despair and self- surges of activity eventually subside—but To contact the author, write to:
destruction of the environment in which the State seems more and more incapable Adrian “Hakim” Jordan 1140242
the author finds himself. In doing so, it of providing any kind of long term paci- 545 Amity Park Rd.
opens the door to a number of poignant fication. Gone, it seems, are the days of Spruce Pine, NC 28777
discussions on topics like the forming of polite, social democratic reforms. We are c/o Mountain View Prison - 4855
identity through historical consciousness met with a combination of hard repres-
and revolt, the co-optation of such iden- sion and soft dismissal, ensuring that our
tity through musical and artistic forms, next outburst will be even greater as we
and the role of street gangs in the rebel- build on and learn from our experiences.
lions of the future. From Greece to Cairo to Oakland, we
And we can be sure that such rebellions see more and more the reflection of en-
will come. The widespread labor and tire classes of people left out or made
hunger strikes which occurred in the last redundant by a shrinking economy to
year and half in Georgia and California which they are basically useless. Some of
prisons were one image from this future; these people have been the excluded for
a recent riot at an immigrants’ prison generations, while others are the first of
in Natchez, MS, which resulted in the their family to encounter a world which
death of a guard and prisoners’ holding will give them no future. Even the Oc-
the facility overnight, is another. On cupy movement, characterized initially
the outside, rage against the shooting of by the meek pleas of a newly despondent
Trayvon Martin, the unbelievably callous middle-class, has either shifted to or been
execution of Troy Davis, austerity mea- overshadowed by this trend of uncon-
sures and unemployment, and the police trollable rage by the dispossessed. This is
murder of Oscar Grant in Oakland also

17 what better time than now? what better time than now? 2

ENDNOTES perhaps more obvious or “advanced” in us inseparable. To some extent this ex-
the European theater, with Spain’s gen- plains how the following article can both
1. World Almanac and Book of Facts: 2011 eral strike on March 29th, or with the decry the “glamorization of gangsterism”
2. “Kill Yourself vs. Unite and Liberate Yourself,” by Kevin Rashid Johnson constant attacks and social breakdown in on one page, and call for the growth, uni-
3-5. Liberation or Gangsterism, by Russell Maroon Shoatz Greece, but we see it too in the US, with ty, and coherence of gangs as a liberating
6. Right On! #1 flash mobs, school and workplace shoot- force, on the next.
7. The Wretched of the Earth, by Frantz Fanon ings, property destruction and riots, and As this article points out, the self-destruc-
8. The 21st Century Anti-Recidivist Booklet, by Clarence Anthony Taylor (Talib Rasheed) the renewed focus of the repressive appa- tive subsumption of our current relation-
9. ibid. ratus on “black bloc anarchists.” ships and identities under oppression
1o. “Kill Yourself vs. Unite and Liberate Yourself,” by Kevin Rashid Johnson Some readers might object to some of does not mean we cannot grow beyond
11. ibid. these last examples, arguing they have the world we live in now, or that we can-
12. Blue Rage, Black Redemption, by Stanley Tookie Williams more to do with a self-destructive im- not find new ways to establish affinity or
13. “Kill Yourself vs. Unite and Liberate Yourself,” by Kevin Rashid Johnson pulse towards social decay than radical identity. But it is a bitter truth we have to
14. Anarchism and the Black Revolution, by Lorenzo Komboa Ervin political consciousness. But as this piece face head on, without which we cannot
15. ibid. points out, there is an intricate relation- begin to understand the forms of rebel-
ship, both of conflict as well as identity lion which increasingly shape our world.
and growth, between the self-destruction For love and rage in the dirty south,
and self-hatred we learn under capitalism sweet tea
and the righteous, “constructive” rage we
feel at those who oppress us.1 This may
represent a conflict or paradox, but it is
one that shapes our movements and our
individual selves, and is worthy of our
engagement.

Finding a way to create affinities and uni-
ties in this context of self-destruction is
centrally related to the project of gang
truce efforts, and to the larger project
of revolutionary struggle amongst the
dispossessed. Decrying outright the self-
destructive urge, or in this case the gangs
that facilitate it, is to miss the point. To
take aim at the institutions and systems
of thought that oppress us is by defini-
tion self-destructive, because these sys-
tems have so completely subsumed our
identities and relationships as to render

1 Perhaps nowhere is this more clear
than on the streets of Athens, Greece, where
anarchists and “nihilist youth” and “hooligans”
continuously find themselves in both cooperation
and violent conflict over goals and tactics.

3 what better time than now? what better time than now? 16

WHAT BETTERTIME The root of the problem is that in our
THANNOW? present state of “gangs” we all suffer from
a kind of historical amnesia, meaning
notes on consciousness and unity in US cities and prisons both a disconnection from our past as
gangs under the “original” purpose dis-
“Certainly, the ‘gangs’ have comprised a This led to fighting the police brutality cussed earlier, as well as from our past as
subculture that has been a thorn in the side and oppression within their hoods that oppressed and rebellious peoples. If this
of the ruling class, one that either had to be was aimed directly at people of color. The disconnection continues, we will become
controlled and used – or eradicated.” - Rus- black and brown nations comprise most “like zoo lions and elephants, raised in
sell Maroon Shoatz of the gang members in this country, and captivity. Never having been taught by
We have come to a point in time where are all from lower-class, poverty-stricken other lions and elephants in the wild,
the country we are currently living in 3rd world colonies in America. they don’t know how to hunt or forage
is being transformed into a militarized However, this original purpose was deci- to survive in their natural habitat. They
police state, where certain groups are mated by the US government in a di- are easy to control and harmless to their
vilified. These groups—under the ban- vide and conquer strategy, first with the controllers.”
ner of the “war on terrorism” or “war on destruction of our leaders in the Black Our communities and our homies must
gangs” or “war on drugs” – are mainly liberation and Civil Rights movements. wake up and defeat the gang mentality
Muslims, gangs, and other lower-class This ultimately led to “the people being that we have. Our goal is to transform
peoples. Gangs, as I will call them from left leaderless, divided and confused,” our image of a gang into one of an or-
here on out for better understanding, are where people “generally don’t realize ganization where our people will under-
within the domestic arena in which the they are under constant enemy attack.”2 stand our views and beliefs. Whatever
US is waging an all-out open war. There Thus, we began to oppress each other, this image is to look like is not for me
are believed to be over 2 million “gang” and became each other’s nemeses. There alone to decide, but for our street gangs
members in the US. By sheer numbers, were numerous tricks and gambits used and communities as a whole to decide.
gangs outnumber all of the full time law to destroy the more radical and revolu- Since war is being waged on us now, I say
enforcement officers in this country at tionary elements of the gangs, which I it is time to put the petty beef aside and
1,021,456.1 will discuss in detail in this article. This defend ourselves by any means necessary,
It is critical to question the original piece is not aimed at or meant to offend instead of busting each others’ heads. We
and modern purpose of the existence of any one street tribe, but to criticize all of must take heed to Comrade George Jack-
gangs. This is due to the drastic increase our street gangs by identifying the clear son’s words from more than 40 years ago:
in their membership and also to under- subterfuge that has occurred, and by re- “Settle your quarrels, come together, un-
stand why law enforcement is relentlessly highlighting our original purpose and the derstand the reality of our situation, un-
attempting to eradicate or control gang freedom, peace, and justice we strive for. derstand that fascism is already here, that
members. I do ask that all readers approach theories there are people already dying who could be
I must say, being such a member myself, and facts with open minds. We must cre- saved, that generations more will die or live
that the vast majority of street nations ate and adopt tactics and strategies from poor, butchered half-lives if you fail to act.
were founded for the primary purpose of the past and present to transform our po- Do what must be done, discover your hu-
uplifting their communities and people. tential nations into fighting formations manity and love in revolution. Pass on the
for all our people. torch. Join us.”
Solidarity,
Comrade Robin Hood

15 what better time than now? what better time than now? 4

“War on Poverty,” “War on Gangs,” “War glamorization of gangsterism. You may ask: what does “all our people” sisters in power on the African conti-
on Drugs,” “War on Terrorism...” We can Our homies must become conscious of have to do with me? This selfish mental- nent. They were blinded by the poten-
clearly see that the majority of the people our history as oppressed Black, Brown, ity is part of the reason we are in this pre- tial wealth that could come along with
worldwide who fit these labels are people Red, and Yellow people. We have to dicament now. How did we get to this satisfying European demands. As this
of color and poor. If we use history as our know where we’ve been before we can point of self-destruction? How and why demand for human property increased,
guide, then why should we trust a gov- know where we are going. Our problems do we continue to let this go on? To un- wars of Africans vs. Africans increased as
ernment that is destroying our people? are manifold and I cannot simplify these derstand what happened, we must exam- well, in an effort to make the soldiers of
We are living under a 21st century COIN- problems to make things look sweet. But ine some main tricks used to slow down, defeated armies into prisoners of war who
TELPRO, but they no longer need to I do hope to bring to light a few main is- misdirect, control, and defeat us. There would be sold as slaves. Betrayal became
wage these wars clandestinely. They have sues, so we can more forward with them. are a colossal amount of questions being rampant. Africans, mainly of lower-class
things like the Patriot Act, which allows The people in our communities must asked on this subject and some are yet to status, were betrayed by their own kind
them to frisk, search, and seize without “begin to realize that only the commu- be answered. I hope to answer some key for money and power. Sound familiar?
a warrant, put anyone under surveillance nity will effectively deal with the matter, questions in the aim to transform our After the capture of other Africans, the
and disrupt your privacy at anytime. not the racist capitalist system, with its street nations. Education is key to cor- prisoners were sold into slavery and faced
They pass bills like the Proposition 187, repressive police, courts, and prisons. recting and preventing some issues facing a lurid passage ride. On these ships, slaves
the Illegal Immigration Reform and Only we have the psychology and un- us, and history must be examined to fully were stuffed at the bottom decks for days
Responsibility Act, “Operation Gate- derstanding to deal with it; now we must understand our place at the present time. or weeks. They had little food or drink,
keeper,” HR4437, SB1070, and the most develop the will. No one else cares.” 15 and were forced to live in their own feces
recent HB 56. Many of these acts target Gangs have existed for decades, and they ONLY THE BEGINNING and entertain their captors with shackles
all Americans, some are more specific. have been railroading us into prisons at on. This, along with other factors, led to
They even had an “Operation Wetback,” record pace since the 80s. How is gang After the Europeans “discovered” the the mental anguish and damage of our
which is a blatantly racist vilification of membership still rising? How is gang vio- New World, they began the most maca- ancestors which was also never cured.
Latin people. Much of this legislation lence still at the forefront after decades? bre era known to mankind. Greed and This kind of internal damage, along with
can be directly tied to fear-mongering Only two answers are possible: 1) The the desire to rule and conquer every place the structural repression of KKK terror,
around issues of gangs of poor black and government genuinely tried but failed to and thing they laid eyes on willed them lynchings, Black Codes, etc., was a detri-
brown people; by pandering to this fear solve the problem of crime and violence, to enslave, murder, kidnap, coerce, bribe, ment to the Black nation. Different but
more and more segments of the “people” or 2) The authorities never intended to deceive, assimilate, rape, segregate, de- related histories of exploitation and re-
enable the government to broaden the fully eliminate these problems in the first struct, and obliterate the cultural, spiri- pression of other groups all contribute to
scope of repression and incarceration. place, but rather if anything sought to tual, mental, emotional, and physical our current state.
That such actions are supposedly for the channel these problems in a politically well-being of the Natives, Africans, La- Enslavement forced us into foreign lands
welfare of our own communities makes convenient and profitable way. I strongly tinos, Asians, and even other European with a foreign people, language, and cul-
the pill taste that much more bitter. believe that the proliferation of prisons nations. These vicious acts of sadism led ture that was not our own. We adopt
The study of history to recover from must play a part—being that they have us to the present stage we are at now. this dominant culture to a large extent,
our “historical amnesia” is not only for to be filled and are big money. In either But to fully understand our present stage, though we did manage to invent new
our homies. It’s also for the only people case, the social system of America does we must also recognize the emotional cultural forms, and preserve older ele-
who can really help solve the problem of not want to or cannot get to the root of and mental damage that was bequeathed ments as well.
“gangs”- our communities as a whole. the problem. As Lorenzo Ervin writes, to us from our ancestors—which mostly “Emancipation” led to slaves having to
Ladies and gentlemen, stop giving these “We have to seriously examine the so- went uncured. The kidnapping of Afri- either stay at the plantations they knew,
pigs permission to criminalize our young cial institutions: Family, schools, prisons, cans from the Motherland first required or fend for themselves with no resources
people who have been misled by the jobs, etc., that cause us to fuss, fight, rob, assistance from our African brothers and
and kill each other, rather than the en-
emy who is causing our misery.”

5 what better time than now? what better time than now? 14

in a hostile country. After centuries of devise ways to defeat them.” 3 If we look back at history, the evident The people don’t decide what happens in
forced dependency on slave masters for -Russell Maroon Shoatz oppression and brutality against gangs is their communities. What if the people
food, shelter, and clothing, we were stuck We must pay critical attention to the nothing new—as they even considered want us in the community?
between a rock and a hard place. Many loss of pride, dignity, and self-respect the Panthers a gang for a while. The ex- Again, this bill would “allow a court...”
former slaves were re-enslaved less than which occurred during slavery and af- act same treatment we are facing as gang rather than the people to deal with the
a generation later through a variety of ter “emancipation” in Black communi- members is what the militant revolution- situation. And let’s look at the conse-
legal economic means, including share- ties. This major deprivation was key and aries of the 20th century faced. If we were quences if these stipulations are violated:
cropping, debt slavery, and the emerging our people sought to regain this by any to delve deeper into history, we would see “Six months in jail and $1,000 fine...!?”
convict lease system. Decades after slav- means. Patterns of domestic abuse and these same tactics were used to repress This won’t solve the problem of crime,
ery was “abolished,” unpaid black labor deeper patriarchal trends can also be tied slave revolts. In the South, the historical and neither will prohibiting people from
continued to be the backbone of indus- to this, as men who were humiliated in origins of many modern police forces lie wearing red, blue, black, yellow, or any
trial capitalist development in large parts the outside world brought their rage and in white supremacists being deputized other “gang” color. And how can you bar
of the United States. frustration home with them. This not into posses in order to capture escaped someone from hanging out in their own
In brief summary, we see the deprivation only led to domestic disputes but fratri- slaves, and later to “police” the fault lines neighborhood?
in our main internal conflicts: cidal violence. As comrade Russell Shoatz of race and poverty after “emancipation.” History teaches us that crime is largely
-psychological slump due to white su- says, “They became easy to control and So by no coincidence, the present era sees a manifestation of socio-economic de-
premacy and oppression are harmless to their controllers.” laws being passed such as the Anti-Gang ficiencies. Crime doesn’t occur simply
-trust issues from betrayal and disloyalty Our main purpose for this piece is to il- Bill, which is overtly a violation of the because people wear different colors. It’s
-dependency issues which encouraged luminate the self-destruction within our 1st amendment right to free assembly not because of turf. The real root of the
patriarchal relationships and relations of street gangs, how to solve these problems (which demonstrates we don’t really have problem is a complete lack of economic
political and economic dependency on and how to maintain that transformation. this, anyway!). An article in Wilming- opportunity and self-determination, be-
the rich Note that this can only be shown to non- ton’s Star News reports: cause we are broke and don’t have a job
-broken families that often lead to search- bangers in a call for their understanding “Police Chiefs from North Carolina’s and don’t control the land and resources
ing for love in all the wrong places, and of the street gangs’ original purpose and largest cities, along with prosecutors and around us, because of a related absence of
created a “rolling stone” tradition. the problems facing bangers, as well as city officials, are trying to mobilize sup- self-respect and dignity in communities
All of these early internal dynamics played in a call for their assistance in restoring port for a bill idling in the State Legisla- that have been all but systematically an-
into “divide and conquer” strategies dis- this original state without the “help” of ture that supporters say would give cit- nihilated by hundreds of years of slavery,
cussed later in this piece. The stripping police, government, or any other institu- ies another weapon in their fight against debt servitude, prison, racism, addiction,
of all dignity, pride, respect, family, love, tions that made us the way we are now. gangs. The measure would essentially al- and brutality. Taking more money that
and affection ultimately led to our pres- I will try to make clear cut points on the low prosecutors to seek a restraining or- we don’t have will not solve the problem.
ent state. This brief history was only the blindness not only of my fellow homies, der against gang members, barring them Throwing us in prison will not solve the
beginning of the road of trials. but also the people of our communities from hanging out on “turf,” throwing up problem. “Prisons are only human trash-
“Understanding these tricks, their vari- who rely on the government to do the gang signs, and whatever else a judge may cans for those that society has discarded
ous guises and refinements, is the key to job of the community, for example allow- find appropriate to dismantle the group.” as worthless.”14
everything. You will never really under- ing the farce of public schools along with Pay attention to the end where it states, History shows that people of color—of
stand what happened to get us to this prisons and jails to raise our kids. “a Judge may find appropriate.” It didn’t which most US gangs are comprised—
point, or be able to really move forward A lot of these conflicts have been discussed say, “what the people find appropriate,” have always been targets of some unjust
until you master their recognition and in Shoatz’ “Liberation or Gangsterism,” that is, the people of those communities. actions by the government under banners
Kevin Rashid Johnson’s “Kill Yourself or that scream, “In the Name of the People.”

13 what better time than now? what better time than now? 6

Do we not see the war against us? If not, HISTORICAL AMNESIA Unite Yourself,” and in Clarence Taylor’s “The glamorization of gangsterism was
peep this, Rashid again: “21st Century Anti-Recidivist Booklet.” something that various ruling class ele-
I will be quoting from these articles and ments had begun to champion and direct
“In response to a prisoner hunger strike “Education is our passport to the future, for more being that they hit directly home towards the Black lower classes, especially
at the New Folsom Prison, where prison- tomorrow belongs to people who prepare for with how the gangs are being internally after they saw how much attention the
ers were protesting to receive yard time it today.” destroyed. The main problems facing our black arts movement was able to gener-
with prisoners they got along with in- -Malcolm X tribes are as follows: ate. Indeed, they recognized it could be
stead of with rival groups, CDOC Om- The original Black Panther Party and 1. Glamorization of Gangsterism used to misdirect youthful militancy
budsmen Ken Hurdle refused to negoti- even the New Afrikan Black Panther Par- 2. Raw Fear while still being hugely profitable.”
ate, stating: ‘Then you’d have two groups ty-Prison Chapter stated words that rang 3. Pride and Egotism Shoatz goes on to correctly acknowledge,
normally aligned on the yard at the same out loud and clear: “We want education 4. Historical Amnesia “They had, in fact, already misdirected
time. They would only have the staff as that teaches us our true history and our Euro-American and other youth with
their enemy.” 13 role in the present day society.” Howev- GLAMORIZATION OF the Bond, I-Spy, secret agent man, and
The 2000 issue of California Prison Fo- er, our historical amnesia and failure to GANGSTERISM other replacements for the “old west/
cus found that riots that happened be- educate our homies on our true history cowboys and indians” racist crap, so why
tween 200 rival prisoners earlier in the stagnates our progression in transform- This continues to be the most harmful not a black counterpart? Thus was born
year were the result of deliberate efforts ing our gangs into true “nations.” trick played against the lower-class ele- the enormously successful counter-insur-
by the CDOC to foster tension between Currently we are under a full-fledged at- ments, and men in particular continue to gency genre collectively known as blax-
rival groups. tack from the government with the “War be the most susceptible to this gambit. sploitation movies; Shaft, Superfly, Foxxy
Homies of all street gangs, this was only on Gangs” and its laws. How is this so? This tactic was ushered in by the FBI’s Brown, Black Casear, and their like, ac-
12-13 years ago. Some of us have been Well, let’s take off the blinders for a min- Counter Intelligence Program (COIN- companied by the wannabe crossovers
banging longer than that, and we should ute and peep this. The US government TELPRO) in their fight to destroy like Starsky and Hutch with the notori-
be hip to the game. As a matter of fact, has launched a “War on Gangs” where militant movements (particularly those ous black snitch Huggie Bear: psycho-
the majority of NC close custody pris- the stated plan is to dismantle gangs as a comprised of Blacks and Hispanics). We logical warfare!”
ons were recently put on lockdown due solution to crime. They say gang mem- must realize that after the destruction of It was made cool and acceptable to be ul-
to gang-fighting and warring. We must bers commit the most crime and vio- groups like the Black Panthers, the Young tra gangster, which was evident in Huey
consider that this too may have been lence, so dismantling the gangs, would, Lords, I-Wor Kuen, the Young Patriots Newton’s years after his release from pris-
instigated by STG officers in order to in the words of one police sergeant, “... Party, the American Indian Movement, on. The effect was to divert our energies
place more control “their” prisoners. I help us to allow the lower-income areas, and the Brown Berets, gangs were sepa- away from freedom fighting to “turf ” and
am a firm believe that a large majority of the housing developments, the residents rated from the radical ideas and leader- “hood” beef. Fighting over land none of
gang violence we see in prisons and on to live a normal life and not be scared to ship they needed. us actually own, competing for the fin-
the outside is the result of some kind of come out at night.” These are the same Having little or no guidance and teach- est clothes, jewelry, women, and money
police or FBI instigation. Why should I cops who brutalize and harass our resi- ing from our people, we were taught – we began looking for self-worth in all
believe anything different? Why should dents, who threaten longer and longer and raised by the TV, music, reactionary the wrong places. The material trappings
we play into their hands? prison sentences which do nothing but remnants of our militant groups, and of drove our gangs into “mental exile,”
transfer the “crime problem” to another course movies. Hollywood took advan- searching for the missing basic psyche
place, rather than solve it, and in doing tage of not only this opportunity, but of self-worth. The new trend began to
so steal family members and money from also the future crack epidemic that was emulate the mafias, the Scarfaces, the
our communities. And now they want to largely ushered in by the US government: Cocaine Cowboys, Ace in Mitch in Paid
help us?

7 what better time than now? what better time than now? 12

in Full, Frank Lucas’ Belly. We wanted to “It is fascinatingly simple to understand it decades ago but they won’t do it now, we’re facing, it’s the internal conflicts
be the Boyz in the Hood, a Menace II how the 2nd wave [1980-2005] was you are sadly mistaken. As part of this which expose us to the tricks of manipu-
Society. We failed to capture the moral of tricked and continues to be bamboozled strategy, psychological warfare has also lation and destruction. Yet we are totally
the story like John Singleton and Spike into destroying itself, while just about all been employed. Knowing how the mind blinded to it.
Lee tried to relay, that all these gangsta of the pillars upholding this giant con- will most likely react to certain situations One of the gang members who realized
stories end the same way: dead, in prison, game are familiar to everyone through is critical to this strategy. Gangsterism this a little too late is Stanley Tookie Wil-
or snitching. the movies, TV, street culture, and our makes one’s reaction almost predictable liams. He witnessed, “hood cops, with
It wasn’t just the gangsta movies. Hip own experiences with friends, fam- if an assault is waged on a rival. This was immunity, commit drive-bys and other
Hop plays a major role in our thought ily, associates, cops, courts, jails, prisons, seen in the broken peace treaty between lawless acts.” He also knew that it was
process too. As Quest Love states, “Hip death, and our own unfulfilled yearnings the Bloods and Crips in 1989 and 1994. “common practice for them abduct a
Hop was created thanks to the condi- for respect and dignity.” The 1989 murder of Bobby Lander and Crip or Bounty Hunter and drop him off
tions that crack set: easy money but a lot Our street gangs went from having the murder of OG Crip Raymond Wash- in hostile territory, and then broadcast it
of work, the violence involved, the sto- meaningful names such as the Bounty ington, which was blamed on the Gang- over a loud speaker. The predictable out-
ries it produced – crack helped birth Hip “Hunters,” Vice “Lords,” or Latin “Kings ster Disciples, are two such examples. come was that the rival was either beaten
Hop.” 4 and Queens,” to everything pertaining Both treaties, it must be noted, were bro- or killed on the spot, which resulted in
In the 21st century, Hip Hop has turned to “gangster.” This new gangsterism, of ken due to police instigation with hood a cycle of payback.”12 Do we follow the
into a fuel tank for gangsterism with MCs course, was never shown in those mov- cops murdering rivals while dressed as psychology here or what? This blatant
talking “gangsta” shit that they haven’t ies fighting the police, the FBI, the CIA, gang members. 11 instigation of gang warfare is the same
even lived—all for money, because it corrupt politicians, CO’s, or any of the that occurs today but we’re so caught up
sells. It’s all for show. Artists taking after big CEO’s who profit from our misery. New Afrikan Black Panther Party Chair- in our gangster life that we don’t see it.
real gangsters: Rick Ross—name from None of the gangs in the movies listed man Shaka Zuzu points out, As Sun-Tzu said, “all warfare is based on
the real “Freeway” Rick Ross without above mentioned their number one nem- “Some comrades will inevitably be deception.”
permission; 50 Cent – taken from Kelvin esis as the police. This psychological war brought into the Party by their friends Even in the prisons, instigation of gang
Martin, the real 50 Cent, without per- was waged solely to control our gangs so and family members, and people will in- warfare is more prominent. As Rashid
mission. We witness most of our homies we wouldn’t become a force to be reck- evitably form close personal friendships observed,
listening to “rider” music before they do oned with. within the Party. This is natural and we “The 1997 documentary film ‘Maximum
dirt, or club music that gets somebody You may ask still, what does gangsterism have no problem with it. It only becomes Security University’ exposed the ‘gladi-
“fucked up” in the club, leading to more look like? a problem when favoritism and nepotism ator fights’ set up from 1989-1994 be-
violence. Look at Gucci Mane, Waka “The lumpen mentality mirrors—on a start to creep in. This is a manifestation tween prisoners at California’s Corocan
Flocka Flame, Plies and so on. smaller scale and with less sophistica- of individualism which can divide and State Prison. Many involved were seri-
We even have hip hop artists who make tion-- that of the Big Gangsters (the weaken the Party.” ously injured or murdered by rival pris-
gang banging look like a sport and is just monopoly capitalists): a ruthless drive Our homies begin to “let matters slide oners or guards, who shot them rifles for
about wearing flags and tattoos every- for immediate self-gratification, power, for the sake of friendship” or because fun under the pretext of breaking up the
where like Lil’ Wayne and Baby. As Ma- control, and ‘respect’ (even though their they “hail from the same neighborhood, fights they’d arranged....In fact, in 1999,
roon recognized, “Hip Hop is daily being lifestyle is anything but respectable), city, region or county, or who have done the California DOC officials admitted
co-opted in ways so obvious it needs no through deception, corruption, violence, time together.” This is what causes cliques facilitating and manipulation violence
explanation.” He continues to correctly and the intimidation of others. These to form within the gang as a whole, and between rival prisoners’ groups allegedly
acknowledge, once again, something we tendencies are what lies behind certain this makes it easier to put us against one to keep control of the prisons.”
are blinded to: lumpen aspiring to be seen as ‘crazy’ and another. Moreover, it’s not the beef with
other gangs that’s the major obstacle

11 what better time than now? what better time than now? 8

condition of self-hate, otherwise the FACTIONALISM unpredictably violent. This raw fear was leveled against many
pride system will simply switch from one Lumpen literally means ‘bro- black militants during the 60s and 70s, as
compulsive expression to another.” If this “Approximately 28% of the [FBI’s domestic ken.’ The lumpen, of which most gangs well as against our OG’s during the 80s
isn’t cured then it will do what it’s doing covert action] efforts were designed to weak- are comprised, make their living by ille- and 90s. There is a major difference be-
now, not only destroying the person but en groups by setting members against each gal or illegitimate means, as petty gang- tween the conscious and the unconscious
the entire group or community. other or to separate groups which might sters, drug dealers, pimps, con-artists, with regards to raw fear. But I must say
This neurotic pride blocks and clouds our otherwise be allies and convert them into and thieves. They reflect the mentality of that all gang members are conscious of
judgment, which is something a leader mutual enemies. Techniques used includ- the Big Gangsters and feed parasitically their oppression to some degree. Per-
should never let happen. And the main ed...encouraging hostility up to and includ- off the people.”5 haps not in its full scope, but they know
problem is everyone wants to rush to be ing gang warfare between rival groups...” As discussed earlier, our history left us in who makes their heart beat fast when the
the “big dawg” when they’re not quite -Church Committee, US Congres- a mental daze that made us vulnerable see red and blue lights and hear sirens.
ready yet. They don’t want to accomplish sional Report: Intelligence Activities and to the manipulation which we are seeing They know who puts those handcuffs
and master the follower role, the student the Rights of Americans, 94th Congress, here. It is thought control, where the rul- on them and carts them off to jail,; who
and the pupil. But this is our pride talk- 2nd Session, Report No. 940755 (1976) ing class controls what the masses think makes them pay court fees probation res-
ing for our conscious mind. Our pride It would be difficult for the unconscious about daily. Why would we divert our titution, commissary and phone money
lets us not want to obey higher rank and homies to believe these words to be true frustration, anger, and pain away from while in prison. They surely know who
file because we feel we can do it better. about the US government, even more so the people causing it? Besides being ig- watches their hood everyday, who frisks
Maybe jealousy and envy plays a role for the passive US citizens of our com- norant to what is going on, I would have and pats them down and harasses them.
also. That clear definition of “arrogance, munities. Even as Comrade Shoatz noted to say the answer lies in “raw fear.” It damn sure is not that Crip or Blood
conceit” takes over where your self-disci- that the glamorization of gangsterism is or Vice Lord, that Gangsta Disciple or
pline is supposed to be. one of the most harmful tactics, I believe RAW FEAR Latin King homie across the street. It’s
We also seem to have pride issues with this factionalism is the most detrimental not the dude who stepped on your shoe
settling personal squabbles between so- to us internally. Comrade Keven Rashid “The colonized and oppressed are quick at the club or who had sex with your girl.
called leaders. The grown-ups used to Johnson detailed this divide and rule to grab their knife against a neighbor or No. It’s the one that rips you away from
teach us it takes the bigger man to squash strategy perfectly in his text. As we noted stranger, thereby in a sub-conscious way your seed, takes you away from friends
the beef and walk away. It couldn’t be earlier, factionalism played a large role ducking their fear of directing their pent up and family, miles away from home. Ev-
more true. The search to fill our gangster in the destruction of slaves communities rage at those responsible for their suffering: ery homie knows who beat the hell out
ego overrides the need to put aside minor and Indian’s tribes. The Europeans’ goal their colonial oppressors.” - Shoatz of Rodney Kind, Emmett Till, Marques
conflicts and attack the major conflicts. was to keep slaves divided because they Our raw fear of the “consequences” of Fry, and Martin Luther King, Jr.
This exact pride conflict existed with represented a threat if united. “Groups of fighting the pigs or the system forces us But still “we are at each other’s throats to
the slaves in the “house” and the field slaves from different plantations...would to act in a punk way. It seems we’re scared acquire the material objects and prestige
“niggers”--house slaves projected a sense often fight each other over whose ‘owner’ to be killed or shot or tased, beat with denied us by the oppressor, so like rabid
of superiority, but were in fact equally in- was ‘superior.’” Moreover, “the Indian sticks, locked up for life. But this is our cats and dogs we fight and kill each other
ferior in the eyes of the owners. If this is “removal” and genocide was accom- life that’s being played with. It’s the same for the measly crumbs from the oppres-
not cured, it will surely destroy us. plished in large part by the Europeans consequences we receive for beating the sors’ table of world wide exploitation of
playing different Indian nations against hell out of each other, shooting and kill- people that look like you and I.” 6 If our
one another—the historical equivalent of ing each other; it’s almost the same for re- frustration was to turn on our common
gang warfare.”10 sisting the system! But the key point here enemy, we wouldn’t have to fight each
is “getting away:” “If I could do it and get other. We only do the latter because we’re
Here, we can clearly point out our ene- away I would.” attempting to hide and divert our own
my. If you think that the government did

9 what better time than now? what better time than now? 10

fear to show the next man’s “softness.” that cropped up in the black communi- beginning of our history, women in our any cause. It also leads to factionalism
The worst that can happen, as the enemy ties...it’s lower classes’ attempts to throw communities began to lose respect for and individualism which we will discuss
sees it, is “If he shows fight, the soldiers off the economic and social effects of it’s us—being that we were quick to abuse later in this piece. Pride and ego “can
fire and he’s a dead man.” But death falls former slavery and colonial oppression... them but did not do the same to the manifest itself as comrades only want-
on all men alike. Death is inevitable, but The big dawgs’ had obvious anxieties White man or police who were oppress- ing to perform easy tasks and not hard
on the contrary, “ If he gives in, he de- about stopping these gunslingers before ing us all. It began a competition between ones, or only ‘important’ tasks and not
grades himself and he is no longer a man they got over their mental blocks about our Black men not only to win women’s mundane ones, or seeking ‘glamor over
at all: shame and fear will split up his using their weapons against the police or respect back, but also that of their peers. obscure work...Some would rather pose
character and make his inmost self fall the system. They wanted to stop them Within a context of patriarchy, our men- with guns that get up early in the morn-
to pieces.”7 We must face the truth, that while they were still hung up on imitat- tal damage gave way to low self-esteem ing to feed breakfast to poor children...”
most of our homies are no longer men. ing their hollywood or Euro-mafia icons, and self-hatred. “The pride is not the How does this pattern of “pride” come
They have indeed degraded themselves. who made a mantra out of instructing product of some conscious decision, but about? As Talib Rasheed stated in his 21st
Don’t let this fool you; it is not death that their gunmen not to use their weapons the end result after years of suffering and Century Anti-Recidivist Booklet:
scares us—we deal with that already in against the police.” emotional-psychological torment form “At some earlier point in life the condi-
the gangster life. It can’t be prison that the basic-needs deficit within.” The third tions of his or her relationships robbed
scares us, either – that’s one of the main PRIDE AND EGOTISM definition of pride is the pseudo-solution the individual of self-esteem. This lack of
results of the street life. And it can’t be we seek to cover this absence of self- self-esteem undermined the development
ass-whooping—we get those every week, Egotism: 1. The tendency to speak or write worth and self-respect.9 of self-confidence, which in turn thwart-
for everything from school suspension to of oneself excessively or boastfully 2. An in- We began to seek acceptance from oth- ed genuine efforts towards achievement,
hood beef. It can’t be court, probation, flated sense of one’s own importance and ers and lose touch with healthy pride, which denied feelings of self-worth.
pig harassment, or the like—we see that conceit. which is the first or second definition. Eventually, these reinforced one another
more than we do our own kids. What Pride: 1. a sense of one’s proper dignity or The homies who say they are in no need until self-contempt and self-hatred devel-
could it truly be, then, that scares us value. 2. Self-respect 3. Arrogance, conceit of filling that missing basic need of self- oped, both of which had to be repressed,
away from confronting the systems that Based on the above definitions, these worth are the unconscious ones who also and hence the pride system comes to the
exploit and oppress us? The excuse of characteristics, pride and egotism, have deny having unhealthy pride. The arro- desperate, artificial rescue.”
“consequences” seems to lack validity. If been the impetus for too many individu- gance and conceit begins to flow so heav- The homies need to see that this un-
gangsters don’t like to be lied to, robbed, alistic acts of unnecessary violence. There ily it drives us to reject any humility or healthy, artificial solution is destroying
pimped, manipulated, kidnapped, held is unhealthy and healthy pride, which concern for the well-being of the others. our street gangs from within. How can
at gunpoint, money messed with, family breaks down as neurotic pride vs. healthy Within our street gangs, the proud one you achieve a goal when the leader or
disrespected, and so on, why do we let pride. “The difference is that...neurotic rejects any significant responsibility, any higher rank and file gives a much needed
the government do this day in and day pride is not based on substantial achieve- criticism or any command coming from order which his or her subordinates deny
out? It surprises me, still, that our homies ments or qualities within oneself. It is above the—in particular if it doesn’t because their ego is too big? And let’s not
will “catch a body” for someone that based on the all consuming need to glori- come directly from their “big homie.” get it twisted that this kind of pride and
looks like you and I calling you a “bitch!” fy oneself, to raise oneself above one’s real This breaks up the unity of action and ego exists only in men. Women’s pride
I see it like Comrade Shoatz sees it: condition and status, not by actual work unity of command. These egotistical acts and ego can be just as out of control as
“The big dawgs [the government and and achievement, but by imagination.”8 make the gang vulnerable to the simple men’s.
capitalists] witnessed a clear example of You may begin to inquire how does this divide and rule strategies by the common
what was to come by war of the posses fit the bill of gangs. As you see in the enemy, as it is now.

Big ego prevents humility and eventually In order to weaken this “pride system”
prevents the gang from fully uniting for you must “simultaneously decrease the