Sudhir Venkatesh, a sociologist who for seven years studied violent crack dealing gangs by joining and eventually leading one, asked gang members and friends what they thought about a new law that makes it illegal to recruit someone into a gang:
Darnell (32 years old, African-American) said police should be more creative.
Let’s say you catch one of us — I’d make the boy wear a dress and makeup. Maybe for two weeks. Let the boy go to school looking like a girl. Let him walk the streets looking like he’s gay. I guarantee you, we’d have a hard time holding on to n–rs if you do sh–t like that!
Well said, Darnell.
It’s also worth checking out this NPR article and audio interview of Sudhir Ventakesh in which Ventakesh recounts some of his experiences following around the leader of a violent crack gang. Or if you’re really interested here’s a vid of him do a read from his latest book Gang Leader for a Day followed by a Q&A.
Just look at that badass.