Black Disciples are a street gang that emerged from Chicago, Illinois, in the 1950s. The gang primarily consists of members from the Black community and was formed by teenagers from the Hyde Park, Englewood, and Kenwood neighborhoods of the city. The three neighborhoods are historically Black and POC majority neighborhoods.
The gang’s original name was the Devil’s Disciples. As per the National Gang Crime Research Center, the gang’s founding members included the likes of Mingo Shread, Prince Old Timer, Kilroy, Leonard Longstreet, Night Walker, and, more importantly, David Barksdale. Barksdale would go on to consolidate his leadership of The Devi’s Disciples by 1961, earning the moniker of ‘King David.’
David died in 1974, which led to the formation of Black Gangster Disciples. According to the National Gang Crime Research Center, the Black Gangster Disciples split in 1978 into three gangs. These three gangs are the Black Disciples, the Gangster Disciples, and the BGs…