Crips and Bloods: Made in America

[KurtFF8]

I just watched this documentary that portrays the current state of these two famous gangs in America. One of the great things about this film is that it focuses not on the gangs themselves but the conditions that existed to give rise to such gangs.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479044/

The film mentions one interesting fact, after the Watts riot, violence was down significantly with the rise of groups like the Panthers and SNCC, and of course after FBI/Police/etc. repression, violence within the black communities in LA (for example) once again went up.

An a side note: Tom Hayden is featured in the film quite a bit (for his book Street Wars)

[Stand Your Ground]

Sounds like a good doc. I'm against gang violence though.

[☭World Views]

I always wondered what it would take to educate the gangs and unite them towards the real cause.

Wasn't an aim of the COINTELRPO operation to stop the political education of street gangs?

[KurtFF8]

Sounds like a good doc. I'm against gang violence though.

This documentary is certainly not a "pro-gang violence" docu by any means. As a matter of fact, most of it is simply describing the conditions that lead to gang violence, and they even spend a decent amount of time showing the "human costs" of communities that are full of it.


I always wondered what it would take to educate the gangs and unite them towards the real cause.

Wasn't an aim of the COINTELRPO operation to stop the political education of street gangs?

I wouldn't be surprised to find this out but I'm not sure.

[Stand Your Ground]

This documentary is certainly not a "pro-gang violence" docu by any means. As a matter of fact, most of it is simply describing the conditions that lead to gang violence, and they even spend a decent amount of time showing the "human costs" of communities that are full of it.



I wouldn't be surprised to find this out but I'm not sure.
Yeah I didn't think it was, I was just adding that in there.

[KurtFF8]

Fair enough

[JimmyJazz]

I always wondered what it would take to educate the gangs and unite them towards the real cause.

Wasn't an aim of the COINTELRPO operation to stop the political education of street gangs?

for what it's worth:

http://blackriders.raisethefist.com/index.cgi?go=about

[KurtFF8]

That organization seems to be defunct at the point. I haven't heard anything about them in some time.

[ckaihatsu]

I just watched this documentary that portrays the current state of these two famous gangs in America. One of the great things about this film is that it focuses not on the gangs themselves but the conditions that existed to give rise to such gangs.


Yeah, I saw this not too long ago, and I agree -- it takes a very healthy perspective by looking at the broader social conditions that existed in L.A. at the time.





The film mentions one interesting fact, after the Watts riot, violence was down significantly with the rise of groups like the Panthers and SNCC, and of course after FBI/Police/etc. repression, violence within the black communities in LA (for example) once again went up.


It also showed, as I recall, that the lack of any real competition among the gangs in the early days became a real threat to the L.A.P.D. because, in essence, the gangs' presence was de facto competition to the cops' turf and claim to power.

At the same time you could also make out a real *Americana* quality in the aspirations and lifestyles of the gang members, quite similar to the egotistic, materialistic strivings of any conventional "entrepreneur" or proto-politician.

From a political perspective I think we need to be clear that we *oppose* the police brutality and other oppressions leveled against gang members, because of the inherent racism and power differential, but at the same time we should be clear that gang group aspirations to private property ownership and control of turf is *not progressive*.

And, finally, *that* said, there is a wide range of formulations of "gangs", so we certainly don't want to fall into any traps of knee-jerk stereotyping / over-generalizations.


Chris




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[JimmyJazz]

That organization seems to be defunct at the point. I haven't heard anything about them in some time.

Nope, I talked to some of them recently at an anarchist conference. They have two people in prison, but they are still quite active, and publish a pretty decent newspaper.

[brigadista]

Nope, I talked to some of them recently at an anarchist conference. They have two people in prison, but they are still quite active, and publish a pretty decent newspaper.


is there an online link to the newspaper? would be grateful..

[KurtFF8]

Nope, I talked to some of them recently at an anarchist conference. They have two people in prison, but they are still quite active, and publish a pretty decent newspaper.

I was unaware of this. They certainly get little to no media attention and even their site hasn't been updated in a long time.

[scarletghoul]

Yeah, they seem pretty awesome, like a modern but much smaller BPP

[JimmyJazz]

is there an online link to the newspaper? would be grateful..

If there is an online version, I can't find it.

[brigadista]

thanks anyway