O. Roberts Resources

Roberts, O. (1995, November 5). Young man’s march: Gangster wannabe transformed into teens’ positive example. San Diego Union Tribune, pp. D1, D2.

OVERVIEW

In a gang-related incident on a Christmas eve, Darius Davis had a life-changing encounter with a rival gang member named Derrick Williams. Although both were unarmed, the encounter proved traumatic. Davis split Williams’ skull with a heavy steel bar. Williams survived, but he spent three weeks in intensive care. Williams was left with no sense of smell and is blind in one eye.

When Davis was arrested four months after the incident, he entered a plea of self-defense. Two trials ended in hung juries, and to avoid a third, Davis cut a deal with the district attorney. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery and got 18 months’ probation. Through it all, he "wised up." He began to realize that the gang stuff was crazy. He thought of his two young sons and about the fact that he was being accused of disfiguring another human being.

Looking for a way to atone, he went to the San Diego Urban League. Soon he became immersed in efforts to change the minds of teenage black males who live in constant danger of being involved in anti-social activities. Soon he became involved in the League’s Information and Education Program and helped develop Brothers Down for the Struggle, a social consciousness-raising club. The club is open to males between the ages of 14 and 18 and focuses on safe sex or abstinence and on the dangers of drugs, HIV, and AIDS. Davis conducts 45- to 60-minute workshops primarily at group homes, continuation schools, and community centers.

Davis’ goal is to recruit 100 new members annually. "You go through a lot of pain with this. It’s tough on the ego when people snub the meetings...and tell you they don’t want in your program," he says. "But you learn how to handle it because you know this is important."

Davis recruits wherever he goes and even takes his program to individual homes when asked. He also helps with Education Now And Babies Later (ENABL), the Urban League’s sexual abstinence program for junior high school boys and girls. He works 20 hours a week, but his unpaid hours seem to outnumber his paid time. For Simeon Jordan, 18, Davis’ words stick because of their sincerity. "I liked his attitude and what he had to say," said Jordan. "He made sense. Now I’m seriously trying to get my life in order."

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. What do you think about the San Diego Urban League’s programs?
2. How can more ex-gang members be recruited to help educate younger boys and girls?
3. How would you counsel a young person who was beginning to show interest in joining a gang?
4. How would you counsel a gang member who was trying to make a new life for himself or herself?

IMPLICATIONS

1. This is a good example of the effectiveness of peer teaching. The Urban League’s social consciousness-raising clubs are effective because they are led by people who can personally relate to the experiences of those they are trying to help.
2. It is good to see a gang member have a revelation after being involved in a gang-related crime. However, it is often too late for the victim or victims. Intervention can be the best preventative method, and it is most effective with young, high-risk kids.