The gang, known as the Crips, is based in Los Angeles, California, and was started in 1969 by Raymond Washington, who at the time was 15 years old and Stanley Williams. Washington was not old enough to join in the Panther movement in the 60’s so he decided he wanted to take what he had learned, regarding control of neighborhoods, and start his own. Washington chose to continue the style of clothing the Panthers wore, such as the black leather jackets, and at first called the gang the Baby Avenues, also known as the Baby Cribs, after another gang he had admired known as the Avenues.... continue

The Bloods were originally established on Los Angeles but has since branched out across much of the United States, and have about 15,000 members. They are known to wear the color red and use the gang sign that means blood and to be rivals with the gang known as the Crips. The Bloods have also been found to be in the U.S. military and, in the U.S. and overseas.... continue

The Nortenos gang of Northern California has its roots in the prisons of the state. A Chicano gang associated with the Nuestra family, it started in 1960 when the inmates of the California state prison system began to identify by hometown and divide themselves into northerners and southerners, using the community of Delano as the dividing line. The Nortenos, or northerners became the bitter rivals of the southerner Surenos, an off-shoot of the Mexican mafia. Allegedly, this long-standing rivalry was sparked by an incident in which a member of the Mexican mafia stole a pair of shoes from a northerner. Thus, the longest running gang rivalry in the California state prison system was created.... continue

Sureños is not a gang, but an alliance under which gangs align themselves. Sureños, which is Spanish for “Southerners” is comprised of Mexican-Americans gangs whose origins are the barrios of Southern California. Sureños are very dangerous because they are controlled by the Mexican Mafia. The Mexican Mafia actually consists of Sureños who have made it to prison. Once in prison, they become part of the influencing gang leaders who dictate the activities of the Sureños on the outside. The Sureños of the streets are essentially the foot soldiers for the leaders, or Mexican Mafia, inside the prison.... continue

The Five Percenters or the Nation of Gods and Earths as the refer to themselves is a religious organization and is an off shoot of the Nation of Islam. However, just as muslims, they themselves do not describe their beliefs as a religion but simply as “a natural way of life”. The Five Percent Nation was created in the 1960’s when it’s founder Clarence Smith who is also known as Clarence 13x was exiled from the Nation of Islam. The reason for Clarence Smith leaving the Nation is not fully understood or verifiable. While Clarence was a member of the Nation of Islam he began cultivating his own ideas (the reason many believe he was exiled) and when he left the Nation of Islam he began spreading his ideas to the youth of Harlem, New York. Most of his ideas mirrored the Nation of Islam but unlike members of the Nation who believe Master Fard is God, Clarence Smith taught that all black men were God. The belief that black men are God is the primary idea of the Nation of Gods and Earths and the most controversial.... continue

The People Nation is not a gang, but an alliance under which gangs align themselves. The People Nation was created in Chicago in 1978, along with their long-time rivals, the Folk Nation.... continue

The Folk Nation is not a gang, but an alliance under which gangs align themselves. The Folk Nation was created in Chicago in 1978, along with their long-time rivals, the People Nation.
Many gangs align themselves with the Folk Nation and generally all of these groups consider themselves allies with each other as well as enemies of People Nation gangs. Folk Nation gangs include the Black Gangster Disciples; the Black Disciples; the Gangster Disciples; the Imperial Gangsters; the La Raza; the Spanish Cobras; the Latin Eagles; the Latin Disciples; the Maniac Latin Disciples; the Simon City Royals; the Spanish Gangster Disciples; the Two Sixers; and the International Posse.
As with the People Nation, identifiers are used as a way for Folk Nation alliance member to recognize each other. This is referred to “representing” and also includes the use of hand signs, specific colors, graffiti, and the use of certain words or phrases.... continue