This gangbanging sh!! never gets old in LA but for some reason I feel like hip-hop has made it even more cool.

A negative Twitter dialogue could possibly be the cause of the unconfirmed death of @Rosemo700, whom is identified as a known Blood in Inglewood, CA. Over the weekend, videos on Worldstar have surfaced featuring @Rosemo700 as the main character in the assault of another young man because of an exchange of words on the major social platform that never sleeps. A couple days later, Twitter has claimed he’s been slain. This is said to be the same guy that allegedly knocked out The Game in the FoxHills mall a few weeks back.

Idk if this guy is dead or not, but its shocking to me that he could be. There are thousands of videos on Worldstar of young people getting knocked out, shot at, stabbed, jumped, etc. We watch them and laugh. How often do we sit back and analyze what happens next? One thing is for sure, they’re still banging in LA HARD!

This supposedly took place in Inglewood, my new home.

“I’m getting the f* outta LA, can’t go nowhere without it getting all shot up and sh**”

See, I knew my theory was correct. Those dudes you assume are up are up to no good because they’re standing on the corner are really dancers. Ha! It’s called Turf Dancing (or Turfing) and Wikipedia describes it as an improvisational, free-flowing form of dance that focuses on storytelling, the creation of optical illusions, and the display of distinctive personal style. Dance elements include popping, locking, and Miming. Sounds like Crip Walking to me but no gang origins have caught my attention when in relation to Turf Dancing. Although, in Oakland Turf Daning can be used as dispute resolutions. There is a very interesting video attached to this text below. CHECK IT OUT

In D.C. for the Youth PROMISE Day of Action, I was invited to watch the documentary “Crips and Bloods: Made in America”, (directed by Stacy Peralta and produced by actor Cash Warren and NBA superstar Baron Davis) at a special screening hosted by Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA) on Capitol Hill. The screening was held to kickoff a series of events in support of the Youth Promise Act national day of actio.

As I watched the film, I couldn’t help but think about my favorite line from the seminal 70s gang movie, The Warriors. It was the unforgettable line Cyrus delivered during his legendary speech: “Miracles are the way things ought to be.”

The film, while capturing the essence of street gang life in LA, highlighted the humanity of these young people and opened up the possibility of a better tomorrow. As Baron Davis said tonight, “My homies were my inspiration for this film”, and it is in that spirit that we as the League of Young Voters Education Fund support initiatives such as the Youth Promise Act and films such as Crips and Bloods: Made In America.

Last night’s event reminded me that miracles are the way things ought to be. Young people with opportunities are the way things ought to be. A pipeline from the cradle to college and jobs, instead of jails, is the way things ought to be. Young people who’ve made mistakes getting legitimate second chances is the way things ought to be. We can save the next generation of young Americans from rampant poverty, crime and violence if we provide healthy alternatives to the lure of the street.

Today, representatives of organizations and concerned citizens from all over the country will be asking their congressional representatives to co-sponsor the Youth Promise Act. We have an online action where you can email your congressperson, send letters to the editor of your local newspaper and organize a house party screening of the documentary. In the coming days, we will continue to engage elected officials, policy makers and many everyday citizens to educate them about the importance of addressing this issue. Today is only the beginning of a larger effort; we hope you will join the struggle and help us make miracles the way things are.

-Khari Mosley

Crips and Bloods: Made in America is a chilling documentary cataloging the role of the L.A. Police department in the creation of the Crips and the Bloods.  This piece of history is important.

We must educate ourselves about the history of our countries and people in order to understand who we are today and the systematic choices that have been made that have influenced our situations.  Violence and poverty have been affecting the black community disproportionately since the inception of this country.  If we don’t know understand the causes that have got us to where we are in this country we can’t solve it.