Meet Your Father
In this video, we take an in-depth look at gang culture within Black American communities to explore the root causes of this widespread phenomenon.
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The Crips - The #Crips are one of the most well-known and influential street gangs in the United States, originally founded in Los Angeles in 1969 by Raymond Washington and later joined by Stanley “Tookie” Williams. What began as a small neighborhood organization for protection and solidarity among young Black men quickly evolved into a larger network of loosely connected street sets.
The Crips became notorious for their involvement in violent crime, drug trafficking, and rivalries with other gangs—most notably the Bloods, who formed in opposition. Crips members are often identified by their use of the color blue, specific hand signs, graffiti, and territory markings.
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The Bloods - The #Blood gang are a prominent street gang that originated in Los Angeles in the early 1970s. Formed as a direct response to the growing power and violence of the Crips, the Bloods were established by smaller neighborhood gangs seeking protection and unity. Two key early figures were Sylvester Scott and Benson Owens, who helped lay the foundation for what would become a larger, loosely organized network.
Known for wearing the color red, Bloods members developed their own symbols, slang, and hand signs, distinguishing themselves from their rivals and asserting control over their communities. As the gang expanded, it became involved in various criminal activities, including drug trafficking, robbery, and violent turf wars—particularly with Crip-affiliated sets.
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The Gangster Disciples - The Gangster Disciples (#GD) are a major street gang founded in the South Side of Chicago during the late 1960s. The gang was originally formed by Larry Hoover and David Barksdale, who sought to unite smaller neighborhood gangs under a single banner. After Barksdale’s death, Hoover became the central figure of the organization.
The Gangster Disciples are part of the larger Folks Nation alliance and are recognized by their use of the six-pointed star, pitchfork symbols, and the color blue. Their structure was once highly organized, with ranks, bylaws, and even a political front group known as the Growth and Development movement—an attempt by Hoover to rebrand the organization toward activism and community leadership.
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The Black Disciples - The Black Disciples (#BD) are a Chicago-based street gang with deep roots in the city’s South Side. The group was originally founded in the 1960s by David Barksdale, also known as “King David.” The Black Disciples began as a community-oriented organization focused on unity and self-protection in response to the poverty, violence, and systemic racism affecting Black youth in Chicago.
Over time, the gang evolved into a more structured and militant organization, known for its distinct use of the pitchfork symbol pointing upward, the six-pointed star, and the color black. The BDs were originally aligned with the Black Gangster Disciples, but internal power struggles after Barksdale’s death eventually led to a split between the Black Disciples and Gangster Disciples in the 1970s.
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The Vice Lords - The #ViceLord gang are one of Chicago’s oldest and most established street gangs, originally formed in the late 1950s by a group of young men from the Lawndale neighborhood on the city’s West Side. Among the founding members was Edward “Pepalo” Perry, and later key figures like Bobby Gore and Willie Lloyd would shape the gang’s evolution.
Initially organized inside the Illinois prison system for protection, the Vice Lords expanded into the streets and became known for their pyramid-style hierarchy, adoption of Islamic-influenced titles, and their signature colors: gold and black. The gang is part of the People Nation alliance and is identified by the five-point star, top hat, cane, and playing cards.
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Chapters:
Rick Da Don - 00:00
Featured Gangs - 00:06
The Founders - 00:30
Meet Your Father - 01:54
The Original Gangsters - 02:35
The History of General Forrest - 04:13
Sponsor - 08:25
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This video is sponsored by https://weerdy.com!
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