TheLoop21.com

By: James "Bird" Guess (Add to your loop)
Thu, 10/01/2009 - 10:24

The death of Derrion Albert continues to bring attention to black youth violence.

The death of Derrion Albert, a south side Chicago teen has recently sent shockwaves throughout America. As the graphic video, now a blockbuster on Youtube, displays two high school teen gangs brawling against each other with their fists clenched, kicking their enemies, and trying to ultimately demolish them with two-by-fours from railroad tracks.

Older Black adults and suburban America asks why? Why did they do that to Derrion? Why did the teen who captured the brawl with his cell phone not call the police, but instead provided chilling commentary, a play-by-play analysis of the chaos, and more importantly, why did no one stop it? 

Embedded video from CNN Video

In every major city in America there is a “hood” (short for neighborhood), where Black Americans struggle for daily survival. Residents often refer to it as “the jungle.” Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, in their smash hit Empire State of Mind, which pays homage to Brooklyn, refer to the hood in the chorus as “concrete jungle where dreams are made of.” And just like in any jungle, there are rules and codes for survival.

In the jungle, some of the basic rules are: “only the strong survive,” “every man for himself,” “no snitichin,” and “eat or be eaten.” Those beliefs immediately stop residents from being a part of the community as whole.

The code of the hood and the jungle is often referred to as the G-Code or “gangsta's code.” It was derived from the norms of Italian organized crime. Frank Gussenberg, a 1920s gangster shot 20 times during the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, spoke the following last words to the police when asked if he knew who shot him: "I'm not gonna talk —nobody shot me."

The G-Code means you do not talk about your actions, disputes, or problems to the police, because in the jungle, you police yourselves and solve your own disputes. You may recall the national attention received regarding the phrase “stop snitchin,” a few years ago. This code is embedded in our Black youth through music and movies.

Although snitchin may seem like a good thing, if you do you'll be punished or killed for it. And since the “hood mentality” first and foremost is all about protecting self and surviving, many people in the hood aren't willing to risk retaliation. Experiences with local police in the hood are typically negative, which only further encourages people not to talk because they're not confident they'll be protected.

What older Black adults and suburban America must understand, is that the rules and codes of the hood are significantly and strikingly different because their philosophies, attitudes and actions are derived from their environment. It's that philosophy and attitude which allowed the young teen to record the brawl via cell phone without any feeling or compassion. He was able to walk away laughing saying, “look they still down there going at it.”

I feel deeply for the family of Derrion Albert, and in no way does my perspective seek to excuse the actions of those cold-blooded teens that beat him to death. Rather, I think it is vital to understand the origins of Black teen violence, so  acts like this one can be prevented in the future. How? We must change the cultural mentality and philosophy of the hood, and redevelop the sense of community. It must start with the parents, the schools, churches, and ultimately hip-hop culture.

James “Bird” Guess is a motivational/empowerment speaker & the founder of The $chool of Money & Wealth.  He can be reached at james@jamesbirdguess.com.

What is the biggest problem blacks face in 2009?

Racism

"Post-Racialism"

Recession

Youth violence

Not sure