ipl-logo

Review Of From Streets To Power: Chicago's Gangs

1163 Words5 Pages

CHICAGO TRIBUNE - From Streets to Power: Chicago's Gangs. By: Mia Arroyo. In the bustling streets of Chicago, gangs are both feared and deeply ingrained in society. Yet, amidst the headlines of violent crimes associated with gang activity, there lies a deeper narrative of societal neglect. Generations of systemic issues have created an environment where gangs thrive. Before Malcolm X became one of America’s greatest civil rights leaders and Black activists, he was part of that world that often remains relatively untouched in discussions of his story and legacy: the realm of street gangs. This surprising detail of his past can offer a unique perspective of the harsh realities faced by the marginalized that perpetuate cycles of violence and …show more content…

Gangs in Chicago, such as the Conservative Vice Lords as mentioned by Andrew Diamond in the article, From Fighting Gangs to Black Nations: Race, Power, and the Other Civil Rights Movement in Chicago's West Side Ghetto 1957-1968, proclaimed themselves as “nations” rather than gangs as they worked towards empowerment among marginalized youth. These gangs sought to address the root causes of poverty, discrimination, and injustice in their areas by obtaining grants, forming alliances with nearby civil rights organizations, and participating in demonstrations against racial injustices. Through this, they were able to implement community development programs aimed at community uplifting. However, their journey towards community empowerment was not the only reason for their formation. Unfortunately, they faced constant violence and intimidation from both law enforcement and white gangs. This unfortunate reality placed them in a position where they felt the need to protect themselves through extreme self-defense measures. In this context, gangs emerged in the West Side ghettos as a result of Chicago's failure to accurately address the social and economic inequalities plaguing the

Show More
Related
454 Words | 2 Pages

In the newspaper paper article, “No Sanctuary in Chicago’s street Gang wars,” Kass (2017) focuses on a recent murder in Chicago. Kass states that Chicago is a place of death do to the ongoing gang wars that Chicago is experiencing. Kass (2017) further points out Chicago gang crime is an “intergenerational problem, of grandfathers and fathers and sons and mothers and daughters wearing their gang colors.” Kass’ statement about in gang crime being an intergenerational problem is consistent with prior gang research. Intergenerational gangs is not a new phenomenon.

Read More
354 Words | 2 Pages

The Gangs of New York is a book written by Herbert Asbury. It was first published in 1928, and features vivid storytelling of 19th century New York. This book is a treat to read for those interested in learning about New York and its most heinous tales. Herbert Asbury collects a tedious amount of information and compiles it beautifully. Most of the material in the book was taken from newspapers, magazines, police and court records, and also from interviews with criminals and police officials.

Read More
169 Words | 1 Pages

In the film Crips and Bloods Made In America by Stacy Peralta, the history of the two south L.A. gangs is discussed in depth. The current disadvantages these modern gangs are faced with can be traced back to the oppressive and segregative history of America towards people of color. In the 60’s the black community was extremely strong and had a plethora of leaders who united and led their fight against inequality. Even in the face of white flight and segregation (Schneider, Escape From L.A.) the community had thriving social programs, cultural hubs, and vocational opportunities that was beneficial to its members (Film: Crips and Bloods).

Read More
1332 Words | 6 Pages

There is a 25% increase of gang activity in Chicago as of 2009 to 2011. There are about 100 different types of gangs and a few of the most dangerous ones are in Chicago. For example you have the Latin kings, Bloods, Crips, Disciples, Folks, and many more. One of the most dangerous gangs in Chicago would be the Latin Kings. Each gang could have over 100 members or more in their

Read More
823 Words | 4 Pages

This was a result of the discrimination that they faced upon their arrival. They realized that they could only succeed as a group and needed to create an identity. The author developed this by providing description on gangs and how at often times discriminated against other cultures. This sort of prejudice was for many different reasons depending on the culture or ethic group. For example there was a constant struggle between African Americans and the Irish for jobs.

Read More
1043 Words | 5 Pages

James Blair Abbie Murray English 11 20 March 2024. Chicago’s Most Notorious Gang Organized gang activity has been prominent in America since the Prohibition era. It has taken many forms throughout the years. Nowadays, gangs are more of a sectional divide. Each section has its own identity.

Read More
610 Words | 3 Pages

12). Duran puts an immense emphasis in support of his argument against the view that the main objective of gangs are to commit criminal and violent acts. He says that past research is bad and is not methodological in nature. Therefore, past research has been nullifying much of the results and conclusions. He tells us that numerous racialized gangs begin as a “perceived and actual form of empowerment.”

Read More
811 Words | 4 Pages

As a result, gangs formed and employed people in order to earn money and afford living. For instance: Bonnie and Clyde was a gang that was very infamous during the 1930’s. They were both born into poverty, however as soon as depression hit, it made life harder for them. The gang contained more than 5 members and traveled from state to state robbing banks and stealing cars. This is evident in Source A. Source A is a wanted poster that is created by the FBI inorder to make the public aware of the criminals.

Read More
1100 Words | 5 Pages

Thomas describes how these gangs affect the youth in the community. Young people are drawn to gang life to cope with their surrounding environment. Young people are enticed by gang life to cope with the lack of opportunities to gain financial security

Read More
730 Words | 3 Pages

People in Chicago fear to go on the streets, especially in certain areas because of the amount of shootings there are each day. Although gang killings in the 1920s were more gruesome and violent, gangs in Chicago have changed for the worse over time because gun violence has been at an all time high the past three years. Gangs have moved from killing other gangs to random individuals, and gangs in the 1920s didn’t kill as often as they do now. Gun violence has been at an all time high the past three years. According to the Chicago Police Crime Report, over 2022, there were 2832 shootings in Chicago alone and in 2021 there were 3555 shootings

Read More
547 Words | 3 Pages

Gangs have been around for decades, they started out as being unorganized and rarely violent. Large white families from Europe came to America seeking a better life. It all began when the Native born Americans discriminated against these immigrants. The europeans had difficulty finding jobs and a place to live. They formed communities to join each other in the economic struggle.

Read More
723 Words | 3 Pages

Most people in Chicago only have two option , either die or go to jail. There are only a few ways to survive the “danger zone” we call Chicago, it requires time, hard work, and bravery. Some cowards will buy into a gang believing that they will be protected by them, but that is only putting them into more danger. Gangs do nothing but introduce you to more enemies and more problems. The gang only uses you to

Read More
1438 Words | 6 Pages

In the 1990s, gang violence was on the rise, where it was dominantly founded in youths. Anderson, Dyson, and Lee (1996) argued that when a group of African American youths join together and commits delinquent acts and crime, they already categorized as gangs to the American public. This affect and many other affects is what creates an increase in gang violence. Those other factors are socioeconomic status, history, race, gendered, and geographic background. They play a huge role on the creation and formation of gangs.

Read More
905 Words | 4 Pages

Members of gangs live off of the power they feel they have on their communities and continue to intimidate society through their violent

Read More
1228 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout the 17th-century gangs have been causing havoc in people's life and destroying the society. The National Institute of Justice (2011) has defined a gang as "A group of collective members which create an atmosphere of intimidation among citizens. " Many of these gangs are well organized, using different forms of violence to control neighbourhoods and to conduct their illegal activities. The National Gang Threat Assessment (2011) reports that “Gangs are responsible for an average of 48 percent of violent crime in most jurisdictions.” Street Gangs have caused incidences of violence that is confined in the inner city of many countries.

Read More

More about Review Of From Streets To Power: Chicago's Gangs

Open Document