Gang Leader For a Day

The book opens during Venkatesh’s first week as a graduate student at the University of Chicago. During orientation lectures, students are warned repeatedly to stay in the safe areas of the city and not to venture outside them: “It turned out that the ivory tower was also an ivory fortress” (12). Venkatesh lives on the edge of one of these safe zones, on the border between the university campus and a poor, black neighborhood. He has recently moved to Chicago from California and spends his time exploring the city. He is especially interested in the poor black neighborhoods; when he walks in these areas he is the subject of intense scrutiny but feels perfectly safe. As an Indian man, he is a rare sight in these places but he notes that “as alien as I was to these folks, they were just as alien to me” (12).

Venkatesh then introduces some of the basic ideas of sociology, explaining that sociologists usually collect large amounts of information using survey and then translate the results into statistical data. This is the quantitative approach and has been criticized by some sociologists, who prefer to “observe” the subjects—the people—of their research in a more intimate way. Venkatesh favors the observational approach, as he finds that quantitative methods are often too abstract, too far removed from the reality of people’s lives.

During his first weeks at the University of Chicago, Venkatesh meets Professor William Julius Wilson, a prominent African-American sociologist who researches poverty. Wilson offers Venkatesh a place on his latest research project, investigating how young black people are affected by specific factors in their neighborhoods. Venkatesh is instructed to construct a survey questionnaire and then go out and interview people. He soon realizes that he has no idea how to do so.

Venkatesh tells us that he has started running in Washington Park, even though students have been warned against going there. He becomes friendly with a group of elderly black men and spends a lot of time listening to their stories about Chicago history and politics and the history of gangs in the city. Until he meets these men, he has had very little exposure to African-American culture. They are adamant about the reality of racism in America, telling him that there are two cities in Chicago, one black and one white. Venkatesh is surprised by their pessimism about the possibility of changing this reality and becomes more and more interested in urban black experiences. Sensing his enthusiasm, the men suggest he speak to young black people.

One weekend, Venkatesh, armed with his survey questions, tries to do just that. He travels to the Lake Park projects in Oakland, one of the poorest areas of Chicago. He describes the projects as “a study in joyless monotony, he buildings clustered together but set apart from the rest of the city as if they were toxic” (16). As he approaches one of the high rise apartment buildings, he sees men dealing drugs in the doorways; the lobby is dirty, cold and loud. As he walks down a corridor in search of the stairs, he feels a hand on his arm and a man asks him what he’s doing there. He explains that he wants to interview families in the building for a research project but is told that no one lives here. He will later learn that this is a common tactic to get rid of unwelcome visitors such as social workers and teachers. Venkatesh leaves and tries his luck in another building. Climbing the stairs, he is struck by an overpowering smell of urine. He comes across a group of young men gambling on one of the landings and they demand to know who he is. Again, he explains himself and is again told that no one lives here. These men don’t believe he is a student, however, and he is effectively taken hostage for the night.

It turns out that these men are members of the Black Kings (BKs), a prominent Chicago gang known for their involvement in the drug trade. The BKs suspect that he is a spy sent by a rival “Mexican” gang and search his bag. One of them demands that Venkatesh ask him the questions he has prepared. The first one is: “‘How does it feel to be black and poor?’” (19). He feels ridiculous asking the question out loud and the gang members just laugh and continue arguing about who he is.

Eventually the “boss”, J.T. arrives and asks what’s going on. J.T. takes Venkatesh more seriously than his men do and seems disappointed by the questionnaire. He rejects the terms “black” and “African-American” in favor of “Nigger”, explaining that “African-Americans live in the suburbs. African-Americans wear ties to work. Niggers can’t find no work” (20). He tells Venkatesh that he won’t learn anything with his survey; the only way to understand their lifestyle is to live it.

Venkatesh is forced to spend the whole evening on the stairwell, drinking beer with the Black Kings. While he tries to ask them questions pertinent to his research, they are more concerned with the impending demolition of the Lake Park projects and the loss of one of their best locations for selling drugs. J.T. comes and goes throughout the night but takes an interest in Venkatesh, asking where he’s from and complaining that he hated sociology when he was in college; he also warns Venkatesh about the dangers of walking around the projects on his own. In the morning, J.T. lets him leave.

Returning to his apartment, Venkatesh has a lot to think about. He’s interested in learning more about gangs and how they operate but is worried Professor Wilson won’t approve. He feels he has no one to talk to. Despite these reservations, he thinks J.T. is right and that in order to learn more about gangs and their role in poor, black neighborhoods he has to spend time with people like the Black Kings and observe how they live. He returns to Lake Park to find J.T., bringing a six-pack of beer with him. To Venkatesh’s delight, J.T. agrees to let him hang out with them; they spend the day outside, talking casually and playing basketball with other members of the Black Kings. After a short absence, J.T. orders his men into their cars; he doesn’t invite Venkatesh to accompany them, but tells him to come back next week. They shake hands.