The Almighty Black P Stone Nation: The Rise, Fall, and Resurgence of an American Gang

This fascinating account of the notorious Chicago gang dissects not only gang culture but America's convoluted approach to the "war on terror." Moore (Deconstructing Tyrone: A New Look at Black Masculinity in the Hip-Hop Generation) and Williams, a professor at Northeastern Illinois University and youth advocate, trace the gang's history from its earliest incarnation as the Blackstone Rangers, organized in the early 1960s by Jeff Fort and Eugene "Bull" Hairston in Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood. The gang was drawn to black nationalism and courted by the Black Panthers and members of the civil rights movement, but refused to adhere to others' agenda. After a 1976 prison stint, Fort discovered Islam, restructured the Stones into the El Ruckns, and became linked with the Nation of Islam. The FBI, —which had long been on the gang's tail, pounced on an opportunity to arrest Fort on domestic terrorism charges. He was convicted and sentenced to 80 years. Moore and Williams present a compelling account of the evolution of one of America's largest gangs as an illustration of the dangers of government efforts to frame gang activity as terrorism. (Feb.)