The Attracting Power of So-Called ‘Gangs'

By Deric Muhammad
-Guest Columnist- | Last updated: Jun 11, 2009 - 11:24:27 AM

Should churches, schools and community organizations study it?

Photo: MGN Online

This subject title has been very heavy on my heart for some time. So when I decided to write about it, I reached out to a very close friend of mine who lives in Chicago. He is a businessman who was storied a gang leader that turned his life around. Since I've never been in an organized gang, I decided that I should get some intimate perspectives about what was it that attracted him and others to street organizations which society calls ‘gangs.'

I called him several times. He did not respond. This was unlike him. A couple of days later I received an email from his wife informing me that he'd been murdered in his old neighborhood on the Westside of Chicago. That Friday I was on a plane to Chicago to memorialize the brother. I preface this subject with this vignette because I believe that it speaks to the urgency concerning the discussion that I would like to spark.

The National Gang Intelligence Center for the U.S. Justice Department reported earlier this year that gang membership in the U.S. has swelled to nearly one-million members. The report indicates that membership is up 200,000 since 2005 with some 900,000 gang members in local communities while 147,000 languish in prison. Depending on one's definition of a so-called gang member, I would have to assume the actual numbers may very well surpass their findings.

If the ranks of so-called gangs are swelling with Black males, yet most church benches are emptied of Black males, should we as a community be found studying what it is that attracts our youth to these street organizations? Would it be beneath us in community organizations to take another look at our methodology to see how we can be more successful in capturing the attention of our boys? This subject matter took me on a journey that I would like to share with the readers of The Final Call.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad taught his followers about the law of attraction. The formula he gave was very clear; opposites attract and like repels. He taught us the history of a scientist born 20 miles from the holy city of Mecca who discovered this law at the age of six while playing with two pieces of steel. He discovered that one piece of steel had magnetic attraction and the other did not. He ultimately used this powerful law of attraction to draw thousands to himself and his teaching to complete an assignment that was written of him 8,400 years before his birth.

The law of attraction is not national, it is universal. It is at work even when we are asleep. When you look at the social conditions of Black youth and the break-up of the family, we see the perfect storm for so-called gang recruitment. Gang-mania in the U.S.A. is a direct by-product of the state of poor and disenfranchised communities. After coupling my conversations with many so-called gang-affiliated individuals with my own personal experience, I realized there are so many things that attract youth to so-called gangs that I can't fit it all into one editorial. However, here are some of our findings.

Communication—First of all, the leader of a street organization is not afraid to show up in the worst parts of the city. In many cases they already live there. No church or street organization can ever expect to reach our youth if they are too afraid to go and minister to them “where they are.” In some cases it is not that an advocate for the street organization has a more attractive word than the community leader or preacher, he just has the upper hand because he's not afraid to step to them.

Security—Statistics show that 70 percent of households in the Black community are headed by females. The absence of a father in the home creates an innate sense of natural insecurity in the Black male. When a recruit joins the gang he is happy to bond with other males who understand his plight. This ultimately translates into security from physical harm but it actually starts emotionally. Every church and/or organization must offer this to be successful in winning over our youth. We must offer emotional security that, only if necessary, translates into physical security as well.

Transparency—This may sound strange but most young people see so-called gangs as organizations that “keep it real.” They believe that even if the gang is involved in illicit activity at least they are not “faking it.” Many ex-gang members beg to differ. However, the best way to attract young people to churches and organizations is to sincerely practice what you preach. Hypocrisy is unattractive to young people. What makes the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan so attractive to youth, even at the age of 76, is the fact that he lives what he preaches, doesn't profess to be perfect and is even honest and forthcoming about his growth and development.

Patriotism—The Black male is a soldier by nature. Our experience as a people in America has left such a sour taste in the mouths of our youth that many reject the government of America. So-called gangs give youth something to believe in and identify with, coupled with its very own unique culture. It is no coincidence that their bandanas are called “flags.”

Financial Opportunity—As a young person growing up in urban America, financial opportunities are scarce, especially during times like these. In many cases there is no food in the home and a youngster has to fend for himself. Even though many of the opportunities for financial gain in a so-called gang are illegal, the youngster is grateful to have an opportunity to feed himself and his younger siblings and put some clothes on his back. Every church, mosque and community organization must develop programs that create financial opportunities for youth.

These are just a few key things that I believe positive institutions in the Black community should look at while doing our community outreach. You must understand the nature of Black youth and make sure that your programs appeal to this nature. The Honorable Elijah Muhammad achieved unprecedented success in reforming young people. If you look at his teaching and the above-mentioned points, and if we would activate them in these cities where so-called gang violence is reprehensibly rampant, you would achieve success.

(Deric Muhammad is a Houston-based community activist who blogs at askbroderic.blogspot.com.)

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