The Black Panther Party and the Rise of the Crips and Bloods in Los Angeles
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Fanon’s Children: The Black Panther Party and the Rise of the Crips and Bloods in Los Angeles By George Percy Barganier III A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy In Education in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Daniel Perlstein, Chair Professor Jabari Mahiri Professor Stephen Small Spring 2011 Abstract Fanon’s Children: The Black Panther Party and the Rise of the Crips and Bloods in Los Angeles by George Percy Barganier III Doctor of Philosophy in Education University of California, Berkeley Professor Daniel Perlstein, Chair Black nationalists of the Black Power era often viewed Black criminality as an essential component to Black political consciousness. “There have been those black Americans who have resisted white America,” activist Julius Lester argued. “These were the field niggers during slavery, Nat Turner, the Black abolitionists, Garvey, and in our own time, Malcolm, the hustler on the corner and the high-school dropout.” Scholars have amply demonstrated the ideological logic of Julius Lester’s thinking about the guy on the corner, but how the guy on the corner makes sense of the Nationalist argument is undertheorized in the current literature. In an era when gangsta rap has come to be seen to epitomize urban Black manhood, this question remains crucial today. What then is the relationship between oppositional, self-destructive notions of Black identity and Black political consciousness as lived and experienced by urban Black youth? Building on the work of Franz Fanon and more recent theories of coloniality, the study explores the relationship between the two as they have evolved in the lives of young Black men. The historical relationship between the Black Panther Party and the Crips and Bloods serves as a lens through which I examine the interplay of criminality and radicalism in Black consciousness in the United States. Thus, this dissertation is not primarily a study of gang activity or the Black Panther Party. Rather, it is a sociological study of how evolving political activism, state actions and economic conditions have shaped Black consciousness. The relationship between self- destructive notions of Blackness and resistance is complex. That organizations like the Black Panther Party have attracted significant numbers of gang members is well documented. Still, it is a fact that most Black youth have not been in gangs or in radical organizations such as the Black Panther Party. Nevertheless, I argue, the historical relationship between the two social collectivities illuminates a fundamental aspect of Black consciousness. This tension between criminality and radicalism has long been recognized in Black life. Whether in celebrations of the folk figure Stagger Lee, Richard Wright’s Bigger Thomas, or Hip Hop artist Tupac Shakur, the intersection of oppression, resistance and criminality occupies a crucial place in the Black experience. However, the particular, shifting balance of these tendencies at any given moment is a matter of critical importance in how Black Americans navigate their American dilemma. 1 For Askari i CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.........................................................................................................iv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………1 Social Disorganization Theory………………………………………………………………….4 The Ecological Model……………………………………………………………………….........4 Cultural Deviance Theory………………………………………………………………………...5 The Adaptation Model…………………………………………………………………………….7 Gang Theory and the Paletero Incident………………………………………………………..9 W. E. B. Du Bois and Double Consciousness………………………………………………….11 Double Consciousness and Black Criminality………………………………………………...12 Richard Wright’s Bigger Thomas and Black Violence………………………………………15 James Baldwin…………………………………………………………………………………..16 Frantz Fanon……………………………………………………………………………………18 Internal Colonialism, Coloniality, and Black Violence………………………………………20 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………22 Research Design and Methods…………………………………………………………………23 Research Population……………………………………………………………………………..23 Data Compilation………………………………………………………………………………..24 An Overview of Chapters………………………………………………………………………24 CHAPTER 2: BLACK ANGELES……………………………………………………………26 The Black Queen of California………………………………………………………………...26 The Founding of Los Angeles………………………………………………………………….28 Black Migration to Los Angeles………………………………………………………………..29 Detroit Red in L.A. ……………………………………………………………………………..37 The Radicalization of L.A. …………………………………………………………………….39 The Military Occupation of Los Angeles……………………………………………………...41 Cultural Nationalism Establishes a Foothold…………………………………………………43 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………46 CHAPTER 3: REVOLUTIONARIES BEEN GANGSTA…………………………………..48 The Black Panther Party……………………………………………………………………….48 Sowing the Panther Seed in L.A. ……………………………………………………………49 A Panther in L.A. ………………………………………………………………………………50 The Empire Strikes Back………………………………………………………………………53 Tensions Build With US………………………………………………………………………..54 Daryl Gates, SWAT and the Final Surge Against the BPP………………………………….57 Special Weapons and Tactics……………………………………………………………………57 The Assault of Central Avenue…………………………………………………………………...58 The Caging of Geronimo………………………………………………………………………...59 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………60 CHAPTER 4: NOT QUITE PANTHERS…………………………………………………….62 Raymond Washington………………………………………………………………………….62 Early Crip Ideology…………………………………………………………………………….67 ii Moments of a Coherent Self……………………………………………………………………75 Crip Expansion…………………………………………………………………………………76 Notoriety for Violence…………………………………………………………………………..78 The Murder of Robert Ballou………………………………………………………………….80 Bloods Formation……………………………………………………………………………….81 The C.C.O and the Crip Constitution…………………………………………………………83 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………85 CHAPTER 5: THE RETURN OF THE SPOOK HUNTERS……………………………….86 From State-Sponsored to State Terrorism……………………………………………………86 OSS and CRASH……………………………………………………………………………….87 CRASHing the Olympics…………………………………………………………………….....89 Operation Hammer……………………………………………………………………………..91 The Institutionalization of CRASH Tactics…………………………………………………...92 DARE (to Put Children in Prison) and the School Buy Program…………………………...95 When the Law is not Enough…………………………………………………………………..96 Analysis………………………………………………………………………………………...100 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………..104 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………….106 Coloniality Of Power in L.A. ………………………………………………………………...108 Colonial Culture And Consciousness………………………………………………………...109 Gangsterism as Resistance? …………………………………………………………………...109 Cultural Nationalism in L.A. …………………………………………………………………...111 Crips, Bloods and the Panther Legacy……………………………………………………….111 Implications……………………………………………………………………………………112 Raymond Jackson……………………………………………………………………………..113 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………………......115 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I was one of three born to my mother an older sister and an older brother we’ve seen it hard we’ve seen it kind of rough. But always with a smile she was sure to try to hide the fact from us that life was really tough. I can hear my mother call. I can hear my mother call. Late at night I hear her call. Oh Lord I hear her call Oh Lord, Lord I hear her call. She said, “Father, Father it’s for the kids any and everything I did. Please, please don't judge me too strong. Lord knows I meant no wrong. Lord knows I meant no wrong.” This work would not be possible without the support of my family. My Mother who’s constant life of sacrifice has made my life possible. To my Grandmother and to Amina Abdul Malik, Nkati and Askari, this project would not be possible had it not been for their love and support. Special thanks to Daniel Perlstein, who opened the door, fought for me to stay and then kicked me out, without his constant support and guidance, this project would not be. To Jabari Mahiri, Stephen Small and Ramon Grosfoguel, who have each given tremendous support in the progression of this project. Karen Sullivan, did everything under the sun to help me, I owe you . again. To Tamara and Carla Roberts and Walter Davis, who told me to do this, told me I could do this, and then made me do it. To Arun Rasiah. To my POCC/BPPC comrades, Chairman Fred Hampton Jr., Minister of Defense Aaron Patterson, POCC Brasil Chairwoman Suzete Lima, Diego “DGS” Santos, Shareef “Dugueto” Shabazz, Free Em All! Special clenched fist salute to Mama Akua Njeri, Kiilu Nyasha, Mumia Abu-Jamal, Big Man and Emory Douglass of the Black Panther Party. To Pam, Ramona & Carlos Africa of the MOVE Organization. To Jovem Cerebral, MV Bill, Mano Brown & Racionais, Sandrão, Shaka At-Thinin, Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, Carole Hyams, Yuri Kochiyama and Julia Wright. To my Tenderloin family, Raheem Shareef and Fahad Saiyed. To G Group. To E Dogg from Corner Poccet Compton Crip and Bert from El Monte Flores, my OG Homies who taught me what life was really about. To Rocc Bottom4 from ws Rollin 60s NH Crip, Sagg from Nutty Blocc Compton Crip, Ram from 43 Gangsta Crip, Meech from Under Ground Crip, Smoke & Tray Dogg2 from South Side Village Crip, LC from Angelo Mafia Crip, Bootsy from First Street East Coast Crip, Ghost from Mona Park Compton Crip, My homies from Tray Line Bounty Hunter Blood and Blood Stone Villain and Bucc1, Cash1, Dee Luv, Dopey, Fat Rat, Face, Lil Man, Dulow and Snoman2 from South Side Pomona Foe Huned Blocc Sherry Plaza Community Revolution