8/24 N@O "What is a Gang Story"

The News and Observer is running a story today (8/24) called "What is a Gang ?" A lot of the information, readers of this blog saw here months ago but four months after the recent "anti-gang" hoopla , the main stream media finally asked the question that should have been asked in the beginning...

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/q/story/1191367.html

"What defines a gang member?"

A sidebar story also sheds some light on the mysterious NC gang data base, "NC gangnet."

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/q/story/1191331.html

They did use one of my quotes in the story.

Senate Gang Bill Goes Before Governor

According to the News and Observer, the Senate's Street Gang Suppression Bill has gone on to Gov. Easley to be signed into law.

http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/politicians/legislature/story/1119374.html


Remember, this is a one/two punch.

The devil is in the details.

There are two anti-gang bills; one for prevention and one for prosecution.

The first bill is the touchy feely stuff that talks about money for youth programs.

But then.....

BAMMM!!!!

Here comes the hardcore!

Once all the fluffy stuff is out of the way. The next bill deals with the penalties...

So watch out for that right hook!!!

Emergency Radio Town Hall Meeting on Hip Hop and Violence 6/27

There has been a lot of discussion over the connection between Hip Hop and youth violence but how much is fact and how much is fiction? This issue is especially critical during a time when cities and states are passing laws aimed at the so called "Hip Hop" generation.

On Friday June 27th at 8PM, Shairi's Radio Show will host an emergency town hall meeting to discuss this burning issue on WXDU 88.7FM titled "Don't Believe the Hype!"

The two hour program will feature activists, ministers, Hip Hop artists and local citizens. The regular host of Shairi's Radio Show is Monica Daye but the radio town hall meeting will also be cohosted by TRUTH Minista Paul Scott of the Messianic Afrikan Nation.

The purpose of the forum is to allow people to voice their concerns and offer solutions to the problem of youth violence as well as dispel the myth that Hip Hop is synonymous with gang culture.

To listen to the program go to http://www.wxdu.org/listen/index.html

For more info call (919) 451-8283

Meanwhile...While Black Folks BBQ

According to a side bar in the Charlotte Observer today (6/25) the NC General Assembly will vote on the "Hip Hop Patriot Act" (OK , the Street Gang Suppression Act) as early as next week.

http://www.charlotte.com/breaking_news/story/684889.html

My thought is that they will probably pass it through while most folks are at the cook out chillin' with the homies for the 4th of July...

Remember, as they say, "the price of freedom is eternal vigilance."

AND THAT INCLUDES HOLIDAYS!!!!

The 2003 Street Gang Terrorism Act

Below is a link to the NC Street Gang Terrorism Act that they tried to pass in 2003.

http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2003/Bills/House/HTML/H732v2.html

As you can see, the politicians are once again trying to use fear to push a bill that will disproportionately affect black youth.

The more things change, the more they stay the same...

Breaking the Gangsta Stereotype

Two Durham young men (alledged gang members) were arrested last Friday for a string of robberries and violent acts , including the shots that were fired at a city bus leaving Northgate Mall, last March.

What struck me as strange was that the sub headline reported that the reason for these acts of violence was "boredom."

http://heraldsun.southernheadlines.com/durham/4-960910.cfm

Now, I've followed the coverage of such acts for many years and rarely (if ever) have I seen "boredom" as the official cause of a shooting, robbery, etc. Usually, the stereotype is some black kid from a single family household in the 'hood who goes around shootin' people just to watch them die.

It was not until I saw the pictures of the "gangsta's" that I realized the reason for the "boredom" rationale.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3079504/


http://www.newsobserver.com/news/durham/durham/story/1115590.html


These were white kids committing those crimes...

So, I guess black kids are just born killers but white kids bang for boredom...

6/7 Herald Sun Editorial

Nearly seven years ago, on September 11, 2001, an event happened that would shape American policy for decades to come. The event was the attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon which had Americans looking under every rock and behind ever bush for terrorists. No piece of legislation developed under the pretense of a "war on terror" was too much as long as it allowed citizens to sleep at night. Years later, most would agree, in retrospect, that both the Patriot Act and the Iraq War were dreadful mistakes. Unfortunately, with the NC Street Gang Suppression Act, history seems to be repeating itself.

Don't get me wrong, I like going to get my newspaper out of the driveway every morning without becoming the victim of a drive by as much as the next guy but I believe that the "Hip Hop Patriot Act" is leading us down a long dark path better left untraveled.

I would be the first to admit that Durham like other cities, has a problem with youth violence. However, the gang threat has been blown out of proportion by the media, politicians and others who have various motives for promoting the idea of the great red and blue menace that is supposedly plaguing the streets of Durham and other cities in North Carolina .

While Durham may not be "Mayberry USA", it ain't Compton either. The same kid who is Killer P while hanging on the block with his homies on Friday night is Lil Pookie who sings in the junior choir on Sunday morning.

Thus, the main problem with the new anti gang bill is its failure to clearly define what constitutes being a member of a gang. Now, I'm no lawyer but I have watched Law and Order enough times to know that this bill could lead to unfair profiling and constitutional violations. Just because someone wears an over sized white T-Shirt and has a tattoo of Bugs Bunny on his right shoulder does not make him a criminal.

Every since the mega corporations have discovered that "gangsta chic" is a billion dollar a year industry, they have promoted gangsterism as part of Hip Hop culture. It is not the kids on the street who are making millions of dollars promoting the gangsta style but the owners of major clothing. jewelry and advertising companies.

While some may disregard the fear of Hip Hop profiling, this is a real concern, especially for a black community not too far removed from the Jim Crow Laws and Black Codes of the early 20th century that made it illegal for a group of African Americans to gather on street corners.

While the term "gang" member is not race specific, the poster child of gangsterism as promoted by the media is not a middle class white kid selling meth nor a skinhead with a Confederate cap but a young black male with a bandanna and sagging pants. So in an attempt to ease public fear this is to whom the bill will be targetted.

Also, although the proposed legislation is being sold as a way to get the top shot callers of the gangs, I doubt very seriously if much of the energy actually goes towards finding who actually brings the drugs into the community. As usual, the politicians will turn a blind eye to the root causes of crime such as the stores that sell a disproportionate amount of high octane liquor in high crime areas as well as the easy access to guns in these communities. This is because those who put the guns and liquor into these communities have lobbyists and the gang bangers don't.

The reason that we cannot solve the so called gang issue is that there are some who have already made plans to send their children to college courtesy of the money that "gang prevention" laws generate. There is always a long line of poverty pimps and Hip Hop hustlers standing in line to gobble up government funds, many of whom won't even tell an "urban child" good morning unless there is a grant tied to the salutation.

The challenge is for to come up with new ways to stop youth violence without caving in to the politics of fear and ignorance.

As Stevie Wonder once sang, "when you believe in things that you don't understand, then you suffer."

Minister Paul Scott is founder of the Messianic Afrikan Nation in Durham.

General Assembly's Report of NC Gangs

There used to be a saying that if you want to hide information from black folks, just put it in a book. In the 21st century you can also say, "put it on the internet."

With most of the current anti-gang legislation going to be targeted at young black males, I wonder how many folks have researched the information on the internet?

I guess it won't hit home for some people until their 16 year old child is misidentified as a gang banger.

Last march, the NC Dept. of Crime Control and Public safety released some information to the NC General Assembly called "A Comprehensive Assessment of Gangs in NC."

http://www.ncgccd.org/pubs/gangs2008.pdf

Some real heavy stuff is in that report.

Trivia question time...

Did you know that the report says that 49% of the gangs are black and another 20% are mixed.
So do the math about who they are going to be targeting.

There is also a Durham Gang Assessment that was done last year that reports that 82% of Durham gang members in 2006 were Black.

http://www.durhampolice.com/news/pdf/071220_1.pdf

Did you know that there was a system known as gang net that tracks gang members in NC called NC Gangnet and a child's name stays on the list for five years? So, if Tyrone is labeled as a Crip when he is 14, I guess he can forget about college?

Is your child in that data base? Are you sure?

You owe it to yourself and your children to study this report...

News and Observer Letter to the Editor 5/31

Dear Editor, ]

As a community activist who often deals with Durhamyouth, I am concerned about the pending Street Gang Suppression Bill that is scheduled to go before the NC House of Representatives. Although, there have been incidents of youth crime in the state, this issue hasbeen blown out of proportion by politicians.

Frankly, I think that many politicians have watched old gangsta movies like Boys in the Hood, too many times. The main failure of the bill is that it fails to clearly define what constitutes being in a gang. This lack of clarity leaves the possibility of "Hip Hop"profiling wide open. Since the typical Hollywood portrayal of a "gang" member is a young black male,the proposed law will, disproportionately, effect the black community.

This is especially troubling for a community not too far removed from Jim Crow Laws that made it illegal for black people to gather on street corners. The community must not cave into a bill that is based more on fear than reality.

To borrow from an old song by Buffalo Springfield"paranoia runs deep, into your life it will creep.

Mayberry Revisited

** Since the NC Senate passed the anti-gang bill, I am running this piece I ran last year***


When Mayberry Goes Gangsta: Justice Southern Style

Min. Paul Scott


Don't trust your soul to no back street southern lawyerCause the judge in town's got blood stains on his handsThe Night that the Lights Went Out in Georgia-Viki Lawrence


Summer time in Mayberry. Usually you can find Sherif Andy and Deputy Barney unarmed in the jailhouse playin' cards and just chillin'. Meanwhile, Aunt B and Opie sit on the front porch sippin' home made lemonade. But that was before "they" rode into town. Now Andy and Barney wear bulletproof vests. Aunt B carries a 45 in her Sunday purse, locked and loaded. And Opie is now "O dog" Main St assassin...


When most folks think of North Carolina, they think of apple pie, warm summer nights and college basketball. But like most places, the Ole North State has its share of crime. Some folks will warn you that if you see a kid dressed from head to toe in Carolina blue, he probably doesn't play for the UNC Tarheels.

Especially in my city, Durham, as for the past few years the so called gang problem has received national attention thanks to the media and documentaries.Durham hasn't always had the reputation of being the New Jack City of the South. But a few years back the local media began to do cover stories with gangsta's throwin' up gang signs and well, the kids that weren't quite smart enough to get on the A honor roll or couldn't catch a pass for a hundred yards every Friday night found that one way to get noticed was to go to the Dollar store and get a bandana, white T shirt and mimic BET videos.

To add to that, as in many cities, there is also the practice of gentrification. For those not hip to the term. When you find a poor neighborhood, label it run down, drive the people out, sell property dirt cheap and then rebuild the area...That's gentrification.What you have a self fulfilling prophecy..Tell the people they live in a "gang infested" area long enough and well...You know the rest.So how do my southern friends and neighbors deal with the plague of gang violence?Like folks in any other town below the Mason Dixon when they feel that their traditional way of life is threatened...They panic.

For the past few years, some NC politicians have been trying to pass tougher legislation to deal with gang violence. In 2003, to capitalize off of post 9/11 paranoia they tried to pass a Street Gang and Terrorism Prevention Act but since public anxiety had begun to die down, it didn't work.

In 2007, they are trying to sneak it under the public radar in the form of the Street Gang Prevention Act courtesy of House Bill 274 and Senate Bill 1358.But the obvious question is, if it is such a darn good idea, then why hasn't it become law, yet?Now, I like to take an afternoon walk to the mailbox without worrying about becoming the victim of a drive by as much as the next guy but using draconian methods to deter crime just doesn’t strike me right.The main controversies surrounding the bills are how do you determine who is in a gang and is being in a gang illegal?

The intro to House Bill 274 says that:"The General Assembly, however, further finds that the State of North Carolina is in a state of crisis that has been caused by violent street gangs whose members threaten, terrorize, and commit a multitude of crimes against the peaceful citizens of their neighborhoods. These activities, both individually and collectively, present a clear and present danger to public order and safety and are not constitutionally protected "

******Note to Gang members "clear and present danger" is the ultimate diss because once you get that label on you. You have no rights and mama can’t save you*******

According to the bill a "criminal street gang" is defined as:"any ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, which engages in a pattern of criminal gang activity as defined in subdivision (2) of this section. The existence of the organization, association, or group of individuals associated in fact may be established by evidence of a common name or common identifying signs, symbols, tattoos, graffiti, or attire or other distinguishing characteristics"

Translation: Anyone who dresses like the rapper lil Wayne.I think that it is safe to say that most middle class white folks don't know how it feels to be stereotyped.

I still have a not so fond memory of while attending a summer high school honors program, standing at a bus stop dressed in my freshest 1984 Hip Hop gear only to have a Winston Salem bus driver decide that his half full vehicle suddenly ran out of room and slam the door in my face.Also according to the bill "criminal street gang activity" is a:"Pattern of criminal gang activity" means the commission, attempted commission, conspiracy to commit, or solicitation, coercion, or intimidation of another person to commit at least two of " a whole bunch of offences.

"I'm not quite sure how you enforce "attempt and conspiracy to commit a crime."Maybe I should turn myself in now for that cup of coffee I was thinking about swiping from the counter at EZ Mart last week.Lastly, the bill calls for the heavy prosecution of 12 year olds. I've met some rotten little brats in my day but I wouldn't really consider a 6th grader another Al Capone.The companion bill Senate Bill 1358 is only slightly more politically correct.

Yes Virginia, there are real gangs in the Bull City and it is not a utopia. But Durham ain't Compton either with its generations of gangsterism. This isn’t an overly crowded city and the same kid who is P-Rock on Saturday night is Lil Pookie who sings in the youth choir on Sunday morning.In other words..It aint' that deep.We have not reached the point yet when we should consider performing social retro abortions on twelve year old kids.Already they are developing projected budgets based on the new residents that will be headed to Hotel Hoodlum.

The prison industry is big business and who am I to knock the hustle. So if your no good, lazy cousin in Alabama is looking for a good paying job, he might want to hop the next Greyhound to North Carolina.The bottom line is in 2007, we should be able to come together and think of more innovative solutions to saving our children than the usual lock em up and throw away the key.And that ain't just whistlin' Dixie...

Min. Paul Scott is a writer and activist based in Durham NC. His blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com To reach him contact (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com

They Always Get Their Man...Well, sometimes...

According to the News and Observer, a second suspect in the murder of UNC student body president Eve Carson was caught. Seems that they spared no expense and left no stone unturned to find those who committed this unspeakable crime. The news last night featured scenes of police canvassing Durham neighborhoods looking for the suspects and after less than a week. Both are in jail.

Just curious.

Did they ever find out who killed that 15 year old who was gunned down trying to protect his two year old cousin in Cornwallace Projects last year ?

Just a thought....

Ain't My Brotha's Keeper

Ain't My Brotha's Keeper

When I first heard about the murder of UNC student body president Eve Carson, like most folks I felt a deep sense of sorrow for the family. But then like most black folks, this was immediately followed by "please don't let the suspects be black." And for me, an extra "please don't let them be from Durham."

My worst fears were realized today...

According to news reports the two suspects are black dudes from Durham. Time to duck and get ready for the fallout.

Now, I'm not tryin' to be insensitive because if it was my daughter, sister, friend who was murdered I would want everybody and their mama even remotely responsible for the crime to pay the ultimate price...But that is a prerogative reserved for the family and friends...

My concern is with the other folks...

There is a feeling in many places in this country that black folks are soft on crime and are always makin' excuses for criminals. Especially in Durham.

This is not true. If you look at the history of black folks who commit crimes on white folks, they probably shot or robbed five other black people before they got to the white side of town...

A criminal is a criminal and a victim is a victim whether she is a high school drop out from tha 'hood or a college student.

But black folks are looked at as being monolithic in thought and action. You can believe that many African Americans will be walking around the next few days feeling guilty about Carson's murder even though they had nothing to do with it.

(Just because the suspects look like your sister Ruth Ann's sons does not make you an accomplice.)

Also, there are many folks who will use this event as a platform to spew deep seated prejudices that have nothing to do with the issue at hand.

I dread going to Mickey Dees tomorrow and having my Big Mac dining experience ruined by the couple at the next table beaming at me as they "loudly" whisper about Durham being full of no good thugs and animals just loud enough for me to hear..

Not to mention the onslaught of camera crews that are undoubtedly on their way to Durham as we speak..I'm sure the good folks at Fox will have a field day with this one.

What is most disturbing is that black youth advocates like myself will have to endure the taunts of the Sean Hannity's of the world for the next 20 years when any black person is treated, unjustly..

"Well, where were you when your Afr-i-can A-mer-i-can brooothers murdered that college student in 2008 !"

(Um, in bed sleep?)

Contrary to popular belief, all black folks are not criminals nor do we turn a blind eye to crime. We are clear in separating those black people who practice proper African behavior from those who are just plain thugs.

A local poet, Queen Sharon has a phrase that she uses when making this separation. It ain't "us" that are robbin' folks it's "those that are them."

Unfortunately, not everyone takes the time to make that distinction...

Min. Paul Scott's blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/. He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com

Prelude to a Race War

Prelude to a Race War

Min. Paul Scott

Durham may have its problems but the one thing that we really don't have to worry about is being shot because of the color of our skin.

The color of our baseball caps, maybe. But not the color of skin.

Not yet anyway...

For the last few weeks, the Durham Herald Sun has been on overdrive promoting the idea that black folks are targeting Latinos for robbery because of race.

While anyone, with any knowledge of Durham's history or a fair amount of plain old common sense, would immediately write this off as hogwash, as it is said, if you tell a lie long enough....

First, it is problematic to insinuate that black people can be "racist."

To quote writer Neely Fuller, author of "The United Independent Compensatory Code/System/Concept,"

"The only form of functional racism that exists anywhere in the known universe is white supremacy."

To suggest that African Americans have the social, economic or political ability to be "racist" is just evidence of those who have the power to define reality though their media organs to spread false propaganda.

In recent weeks, the Durham Herald Sun has published two articles in which members of the Latino community have been quoted as saying that they are being targeted for robbery because of "racism" via "blacks."

In the 1/22 issue under the caption "Hispanics fear rash of crimes is racism: String of robberies committed mostly by black men", it was reported by Dan Way (metro editor of the Herald Sun) that several Hispanic Durham residents were raising the question whether the 30 robberies of against Hispanics during the first two weeks of January were "racist hate crimes."

A few weeks later in an article written, again, by Dan Way, a Mexican woman is quoted as saying,

"The problem in this neighborhood is with the blacks."

Also a "Honduran national" is quoted as saying,

"The "gringo's" don't bother you The Hispanics don't bother you. It's the blacks."

He later says that while his sandwich truck serves black customers, both attempts to break into his vehicle were by black men.

The article ends with the quote,

"How are we going to defend ourselves ? We don't have any help."

http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-922593.cfm

Now, there are several things that are very problematic about these two articles.

The first being that both of these articles were not written by some college intern or some kid fresh out of journalism school. These articles were written by the metro editor of the Herald Sun who should know better than to spread these accusations.

Secondly, the terms being used. As stated earlier "racism" would not be the proper term here nor would "hate crimes." When you use these terms you are alleging that those black men who are robbing Latinos are doing it strictly to deny Latinos of their rights. You also assume that these thieves only rob Latinos and have no prior histories robbing any other race, including other African Americans.

The term "gringo" is also used. In the article there is no attempt to define the Spanish term "gringo." Even, when researching the word via other sources the term is hard to define. Taken out of the context of the story, one can assume that the interviewee is using the the term to differentiate European Americans from African Americans, which is disturbing in and of itself. Since most English speaking people, including African Americans, do not use the term "gringo" it can be rightly stated that the article was only meant for a community that understands the lingo or code word.

Also, one cannot help but notice that no African Americans were interviewed in either article to refute the charges of racism. It must be noted that the way the stories are written, it is not a condemnation of a few black thieves but an indictment of the entire black community.

Not only does the Herald Sun's coverage defy logic, the assertion of black racism against Latinos goes against studies such as the one started a few years ago by Duke professor Paula McClain.

In her study "Racial Distancing in a Southern City: Latino Immigrants Views of African Americans" it is said that Latinos have a more negative view of blacks than blacks have of Latinos. According to news reports her study said that 59% of Latino immigrants felt that few or almost no blacks are hard working, one third said that blacks are hard to get along with and 57% said that few or no blacks could be trusted."

http://www.diversityinc.com/public/2967.cfm

Yet, this local study by a local professor was not used in either Herald Sun story.

One must, of course, question the motives for promoting brown on black violence.

A strong argument could be made that Durham is experiencing a strong surge in gentrification. What better way to rid the community of "undesirables" than to have them kill each other off. The out of town business developers could then come in and buy what is left of the neighborhoods dirt cheap and put up high dollar developments. Also, there has been a lot of attention in the national media lately over the political divide between African Americans and Latinos.

This is not the first time that a local newspaper has been accused of inciting violence against African Americans. Josephus Daniels, former owner of the News and Observer has been accused of using the paper to encourage violence against African Americans and he was, also, accused of helping to incite the Wilmington Race Riots of 1898.

http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/1898-wrrc/report/report.htm

It could also be argued that the Herald Sun played a major role in the popularization of local street gangs because of the extensive coverage which it has given the issue over the last decade.

http://www.heraldsun.com/hottopics/topicpage.cfm?topicID=21

Durham does not have a major brown on black race problem yet, that is still a problem that plagues West Coast cities such as Los Angeles. One cannot help but wonder what role the LA media played in promoting the tensions and if the same could happen in Durham, NC.

Columnists like the LA Time's Gregory Rodriguez bemoaned the media's exploitation on the black vs brown conflict. His 10/7 column, "The Fantasy of LA's Race War " ends with the chilling words:

"I can't help thinking that there is some sort of wish fulfillment in the black-versus-brown fixation."

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-rodriguez1oct01,0,1767378.column

The Durham community must rise up and stop the spread of this false propaganda before it escalates into a conflict that will neither benefit the black nor Latino community.

We must heed the words of the late great Malcolm X when he said :

"The press is so powerful in its image-making role, it can make a criminal look like he’s the victim and make the victim look like he’s the criminal…. If you aren’t careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”

Min. Paul Scott's blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ He can be reached at (919) 451-8283 info@nowarningshotsfired.com

Community in Crisis Town Hall Meeting

A room full of people gathering at the Know Book Store on Fayetteville St in Durham, yesterday, with a clear message...

"Or community is in a crisis and black folks must find the solution."

The meeting, moderated by Cimerron Bandele of the African Diasporin Nationalist Society, featured a panel discussion by area activists such as Larry and Denise Hester, discussing solutions to the problems facing Durham.

One of the issues that was dicussed was the history and future of Fayetteville St, which according to Larry Hester is the only black historic district in Durham. The Hesters, who own the popular Phoenix Square shopping area are concerened that with the influx of outside developers and the expansion plans of North Carolina Central University, not only wil elderly residents be deplaced but the entire historic district is under assault.

The meeting also discussed the drought problem and its effect on the black community.

As one speaker put it, if Durham runs out of water who do you think is going to be the last one to get a drink?

Other topics included the the incarceration of black males, the need for afrocentric educational reform and the recent attempts by the media to promote brown on black violence.

The gathering was just the first of several town hall meetings and events planned in areas throughout Durham.

As Bandele put it,

"Today, we're behind four walls but tomorrow we're in the streets.

Min. Paul Scott's blog is http://www.nowarningshotsfired.com/ He can be reached at (919) 451-8283