The Caged Tiger pt.2

Theme Music: "Philadelphia" by Oschino

Peace,

In my previous post regarding street organizations, I discussed some of their history and examples of consciousness and politicization within said organizations. The discussion among those of us who are dedicated to the growth & development of the youth is now how to educate and politicize them in this day and time. Like with many issues within the Black community, there's a segment of the population that romanticizes the 60's and the efforts of Fred Hampton, the Young Lords, and others. What they fail to see is that we are living in a vastly different time where the efforts to destroy the youth have been magnified. Simply put, the youth of today face many more obstacles than 40 years ago. There were no crack babies, ADHD, or 50 cent in 1969.

Another element that has changed is the intent, structure, and organization of the street organizations. During the 60's and 70's, many of the street organizations were just beginning and had not become staples within our communities. Additionally, some of them were outgrowths of clubs that were formed to protect the Black Community from White social clubs, so they had a different orientation than the street organizations today (A great example is the Slausons, who protected members of the then-developing Black community from White mobs. The Slausons, who at one time were led by Black Panther Bunchy Carter before he was killed by the US organization, eventually formed the base for the Crips). Additionally, the SO's weren't the multi-million organization with dues, picnics, bylaws, and mandates that they are now.

So what to do?

With all that said, I see that there are some interventions that can change the direction of the SO's. It entails the following:

1) Stop using tactics and rhetoric from past generations - As I stated, It's a new day and while many of the conditions remain, there are a number of elements that have changed. It's 2005 and when we look back, it's for ammunition and not comfort.

2) Utilize contemporary mediums and elements to teach and educate - Gangs use websites; So should you. Anything that they use, you should use b.u.t. reverse the polarity, and communicate positive pertinent messages. The Bloods have grown like wildfire due to the music of Game and the Diplomats. We have to use music and create street movements to reinforce our messages and ideas.

3) Make sure that our approach is wholistic - The issues are not only social, they're also economic. We have to be able to provide solutions to the variety of issues that the youth face, and empower them to solve their own issues and the issues of the future.