My message to the Crips and Black men

by Mr. Kamau Latif Jones

I extend my firm handshake and firm greetings to all righteous comrades and Black men. I clearly understand the deep pain and trauma we have been forced to suffer and endure while remaining strong, holding on to stubborn determination.

I realize the harsh conditions of our communities have been what has shaped us, creating in us a desire to kill, fight war and stand firm with courage and bravery. I come forward to convey these thoughts out of a sense of loyalty, pride and conviction of what we’re supposed to represent.

One thing that distinguished the Crips was we grew up fearless, tightly bonded and were forced to bear the burdens of our environment. Countless generations have been lost, many wars have been fought and no one can claim victory, nor have we achieved any logical goals and collective aspirations. However, we have witnessed our men and women being stripped and uprooted from our communities, placed in state and federal prisons and many of our people are on death row, sentenced to death by lethal injection, and these laws have predominantly affected Black men and people of color.

I sit and reflect on the result and consequences of my actions while devoting my time, energy and destructive mentality to benefit the Crips. But by adopting this genocidal lifestyle it has cost me to forfeit being a part of my son’s life since the year 1994. It’s been very unfortunate that I’ve had to endure the severed ties from those who I hold dear. Nevertheless, I realize the things I’ve experienced were a result of my actions, being misguided and blinded by the infatuation of the lifestyle of the streets.

I want to impress upon you there’s more to life than a reputation or striving to establish a name for ourselves, and as a consequence we are forced to spend the rest of our lives in prison, locked away with a cellmate for the next 30 to 40 years unable to procreate; and for many men, being confined to a small cell as the world and time passes them by, the mental stress, anxiety and pressure breaks the spirits of their morale.

What is noble and honorable about playing a willing role in our own destruction as we wreak havoc upon our people and communities?

I’m  aware that well prepared speeches and words don’t move our people, so I want to explain my facts with examples: I have a sentence of 217 years-to-life, with an expected release date of 2206. So now I ask, is making a senseless sacrifice worth throwing your entire life and future away? What is noble and honorable about playing a willing role in our own destruction as we wreak havoc upon our people and communities, and we continue to sabotage all future hopes of unity due to our desire for revenge, thus creating an endless cycle of retaliation? Have we fooled ourselves into believing this is what Crippin’ is all about? 

We lack appreciation for our women, children and elders. Here’s an example: every time we chose to get high in the presence of our kids, we were in fact poisoning them as well as robbing them of their innocence. Because certain things which are deemed illegal, they see us indulging in it and believe it to be okay, correct and acceptable when it’s not – this is something harmful and damaging. We must begin to do things more responsibly and be mindful that our actions affect our future generations. And if we continue to bring up and teach our youth and children improperly, our communities will suffer and feel the pain.

The proof is easy to see and confirms what I’m saying to be true and correct. Let’s look at the history and condition of the Crips since the 1970s and 1980s; things have only gotten worse and more extreme. We have witnessed the loss of our comrades from generation to generation as we overload mortuaries and fill cemeteries with dead Crips, Bloods and people of color.

Why should we be allowed to call ourselves Crips when the majority of our sets don’t even get along or see eye-to-eye? And how many of us still espouse the ideals, principles of what Raymond Washington and his comrades established and brought forth? Many of us lack a thorough history of the Crips and how we should conduct ourselves. Before the crack epidemic of the 1980s, the Crips were strong and more unified; they moved with strength and some form of dignity.

The leaders and founders of street gangs of Southern California, i.e, Los Angeles, Compton, Watts, Long Beach or Pomona, weren’t raised amongst the elders of the Black militant groups such as the Black Panther organization and Black Liberation Army. These groups were already being driven underground and many had forced shootouts with corrupt, racist police officials.

And moreover, we cannot condone other Black or Hispanic men who believe they have the right, power and authority to bring harm to the most vulnerable amongst us without tying the hands of the wrongdoer in order to stop the oppression and affliction waged upon us.

The first generations of Crips identified with the strength of the Slauson Boyz under the leadership of Bunchy Carter, The Avenues founded by Craig Monscon and another gang called The Farmers. The East Side Crips founders witnessed the Watts Riots in 1965 before the Crips were conceived and established. These young adolescents were forced to witness their communities on fire. As their cities burned, a war indeed was taking place against the people; and the pigs, the so-called police, brought death, destruction and harm to our women, men and children. This is the chaos and adversity that stirs the forces of revolution; these are the harsh conditions that gave birth to the Crips. And under each layer that’s pulled back, you will discover lots of pain, hardship and friction which forged the mind-set of the Crips. Each generation was birthed in the midst of war and an era of troubling times.

I humbly ask that we regain our courage to put our past differences to the side so that we can come together without the fear of death or harm towards one another, so we can begin to heal and become the righteous helpers (Ansars) of our people and communities. We should not accept the loss of Black-owned businesses, property and homes that took our parents and grandparents over 30 years to pay off – we lost everything our people worked hard for due to some form of foreclosure.

I ask, at what point do we view reality for the truth that lies before us and stop sugarcoating the harsh situation we are faced with? No man should allow police officials to come into the heart of our communities and execute innocent Black men, women and children and be allowed to walk away unaccountable. If we are subjected to injustice, we have a right to protect and defend ourselves, our people and our communities. 

And moreover, we cannot condone other Black or Hispanic men who believe they have the right, power and authority to bring harm to the most vulnerable amongst us without tying the hands of the wrongdoer in order to stop the oppression and affliction waged upon us.

Having a reputation means nothing if we’re fighting and dying for an unjust and unworthy cause that has only brought death and suffering upon ourselves.

Prayer for unification

O’Allah I think deeply to myself and contemplate, will the gang problem amongst the Black man ever be resolved. No nation of people has ever succeeded and thrived when the hearts of the people were divided.

O’Allah only you possess the divine power and ability to unite the hearts, minds and spirits of our people. I wonder, why is it that our people have suffered so much tragedy yet we still find ourselves the most conflicted and divided?

O’Allah do my people desire slavery and oppression more than the sweet taste of complete freedom? We have never been totally free nor liberated. Our people have been enslaved by the cruel trauma of our past, so it still dictates an uncertain future.

O’Allah I beseech your magnificent grace and mercy that you may cleanse, purify and heal the hearts of our men, women and children. And grant us the empathy that we might develop true love and compassion for one another. For you’re our creator and you possess the solutions for any worldly or heavenly problem we are faced with.

Send our brother some love and light: Mr. Kamau Latif Jones, J70436, CHCF B3B-119, P.O. Box 213040, Stockton, CA 95215.