Synopses & Reviews
In gangster lore, the Almighty Black P Stone Nation stands out among the most notorious street gangs. But how did teens from a povertystricken Chicago neighborhood build a powerful organization that united 21 individual gangs into a virtual nation?
Natalie Y. Moore and Lance Williams answer this and other questions in a provocative tale that features a colorful cast of characters from white do-gooders, black nationalists, and community organizers to overzealous law enforcement. The U.S. government funded the Nation. Louis Farrakahn hired the gangrenamed the El Rukns in a tribute to Islamas his Angels of Death. Fifteen years before 9/11, the government convicted the gang of plotting terrorist acts with Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi; currently, founding member Jeff Fort is serving a triple life sentence.
An exciting story about the evolution of a gang, the book is an exposé of how minority crime is targeted as well as a timely look at urban violence
Review
"Moore and Williams demystify the gang—and bring out the quirks of charismatic founder Jeff Fort—in this well-researched book that digs out the truth, finds the humanity in urban legend and shows how church, state and community together created the most powerful, and contradictory, of street organizations." —Ebony (April 2011)
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"A rigorous mixture of scholarship and journalism that is rendered with a contextual empathy that's rare in other literature on street gangs." —Salim Muwakkil, senior editor, In These Times, and host of The Salim Muwakkil Show, WVON, Chicago
Review
"A provocative tale." —Chicago Citizen
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"Filled with amazing and little known details and framed within Chicago African American history. The best and most accurate book on a contemporary Chicago gang ever written." —John Hagedorn, author, People & Folks: Gangs, Crime, and the Underclass in a Rustbelt City
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"A stunning book." —StreetWise (March 2, 2011)
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"A must-read for anyone interested in the history of Chicago." —Chicago Crusader
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"A powerful exposé of disturbing realities underlying enduringly misunderstood urban legends." —Kirkus Reviews
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"A valuable addition to a serious library about crime, shedding light on the overlooked world of black Chicago gangs." —Foxhill Review
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"Journalist Moore and scholar Williams, the son of a former member of a rival gang, draw on interviews, newspaper accounts, and court records to examine the rise and fall of the gang that started as the Blackstone Rangers and later morphed into the El Rukns." —Booklist
Synopsis
In gangster lore, the Almighty Black P Stone Nation stands out among the most notorious street gangs. But how did teens from a poverty-stricken Chicago neighborhood build a powerful organization that united 21 individual gangs into a virtual nation?
Natalie Y. Moore and Lance Williams answer this and other questions in a provocative tale that features a colorful cast of characters from white do-gooders, black nationalists, and community organizers to overzealous law enforcement. The U.S. government funded the Nation. Louis Farrakahn hired the gang--renamed the El Rukns in a tribute to Islam--as his Angels of Death. Fifteen years before 9/11, the government convicted the gang of plotting terrorist acts with Libyan leader Mu'ammar Gadhafi; currently, founding member Jeff Fort is serving a triple life sentence.
An exciting story about the evolution of a gang, the book is an expos of how minority crime is targeted as well as a timely look at urban violence
Synopsis
This exposé investigates the evolution of the Almighty Black P Stone Nation, a motley group of poverty-stricken teens transformed into a dominant gang accused of terroristic intentions. Interwoven into the narrative is the dynamic influence of leader Jeff Fort, who—despite his flamboyance and high visibility—instilled a rigid structure and discipline that afforded the young men a refuge and a sense of purpose in an often hopeless community. Details of how the Nation procured government funding for gang-related projects during the War on Poverty era and fueled bonuses and job security for law enforcement, and how Fort, in particular, masterminded a deal for $2.5 million to commit acts of terrorism in the United States on behalf of Libya are also revealed. In examining whether the Black P Stone Nation was a group of criminals, brainwashed terrorists, victims of their circumstances, or champions of social change, this social history provides both an exploration of how and why gangs flourish and insight into the way in which minority crime is targeted in the community, reported in the media, and prosecuted in the courts.
About the Author
"Journalist Moore and scholar Williams, the son of a former member of a rival gang, draw on interviews, newspaper accounts, and court records to examine the rise and fall of the gang that started as the Blackstone Rangers and later morphed into the El Rukns." Booklist"An insightful anatomy of Chicagos iconic Blackstone Rangers and the street gang culture from which it emerged. The book is a rigorous mixture of scholarship and journalism that is rendered with a contextual empathy thats rare in other literature on street gangs." Salim Muwakkil, senior editor, In These Times"A provocative tale." Chicago Citizen"[A] timely exposé on urban violence." Chicago Defender
"Filled with amazing and little known details and framed within Chicago African American history. The best and most accurate book on a contemporary Chicago gang ever written." John Hagedorn, author, People & Folks, Gangs, Crime, and the Underclass in a Rustbelt City