It was only the third week of school, and already 12 boys had been killed in gang-related shootings on the south side. Another 42 had been wounded. Shots rang out not just on street corners but in school hallways. In one month, close to four dozen Chicagoans would die in acts of gang violence.
Williams and Moore drill down to the block level of gang activity while simultaneously exploring the methods and motivations of the Stones’ upper echelon. In doing so, they show that, though Chicago has made little headway in curbing gang violence, there are still plenty of relevant lessons to be found in the past.
MS: But it seems like today those two worlds don’t coexist like they coexisted in the earlier days of the Stones. It’s really one world now, because of the hold the drug trade has.
NM: In 2011, Chicago had its lowest murder count in decades. I don’t want to sound callous or that I’m writing this off as no big deal, but the truth is that Chicago has always been a violent city. And for me the issue of not characterizing it accurately is that you won’t get to the root of the problem—and you won’t solve it—if you don’t understand where Chicago is in its history as far as violence goes. Especially with youth.
MS: Today, it’s harder for outside forces to influence street organizations when there’s so much revenue coming in from drugs.
MS: I know you must be seeing similarities between school districts being redrawn in the 60s, having gang members crossing into rival gang territories to go to school, and the school closures going on now.
In American Honor Killings, David McConnell explores male violence.
Karen Russell spins pain into parable in Vampires in the Lemon Grove.
In The Round House, Louise Erdrich settles for an easy target.
Dan Baum’s Gun Guys could use less Baum, more guys.
Plus: Short takes on new books by local authors.
