Gangster Disciples
The Black Gangster Disciple is an American street gang that was founded on the South Side of Chicago in the late 1960s . Founders were David Barksdale, the leader of the Black Disciples and Larry Hoover, the leader of the Supreme Gangsters . The two groups joined together as the Black Gangster Disciple Nation (BGDN). The Gangster Disciples are present throughout the United States and have 40,000 to 60,000 members, 30,000 of them in Chicago, the majority of whom are African American .
The group has made various attempts to legitimize their appearance. Some members have dropped the "B" and refer to themselves as GDs or Gangster Disciples. In the 1990s, the Disciples followed the tradition of the Black Panthers , Black Stone Rangers, Latin Kings , Traveling Vice Lords , Black Disciples and Young Lords by creating a "growth and development" movement. Outside of Chicago, some gangs still bear the old BGD name.
Members of the Gangster Disciples are also documented in the US military , they were found both within the US and in bases abroad. Graffiti by Gangster Disciples was found in bases in Iraq and Afghanistan .
Allies and rivals
The Gangster Disciples are allied with the Folk Nation as well as the Crips , the Sureños , the Zoe Pound Gang , the Black Guerrilla Family , the Black Mafia Family and the Juggalos . Their rivals include the People Nation , the Black P.Stones , the Traveling Vice Lords , the Bloods , Latin Kings , Norteños, and the Black Disciples .
Symbols and identifying marks
Like most large gangs, the Gangster Disciples use a system of well-defined symbols for communication. This system is a combination of symbols that represent the gangster disciples or the folk nation as a whole and symbols that stand for other gangs, usually to provoke them.
The gear colors are black, gray and blue. Many members wear Georgetown Hoyas or Duke Blue Devils clothing .
The six-pointed star
The main gang symbol is a six-pointed star, identical in style to the Star of David . This reference pays homage to founder David Barksdale. The six points should stand for love, life, loyalty, understanding, knowledge and wisdom or respect.
Web links
- Profile of the FBI Gangster Disciples
- Gang Threat Analysis: The Black Disciples from the National Gang Crime Research Center
Individual evidence
- ^ Federal Bureau of Investigation : National Gang Threat Assessment 2009 , Retrieved September 29, 2013
- ↑ Gang Prevention Services: Profile on the Black Gangster Disciples ( February 5, 2011 memento in the Internet Archive ) , accessed September 29, 2013
- ^ McClatchy-Tribune Information Services: Gangs Increasing in Military, FBI Says ( June 4, 2012 memento on the Internet Archive ), accessed September 29, 2013