The People Nation is an American alliance of street gangs generally associated with the Chicago area. They are rivals of the Folk Nation alliance of gangs.
31-747: In 1978, Mickey Cogwell and Jeff Fort (now Black P. Stones ), Vice Lords and Latin Kings formed an alliance system of their own, and titled it the "People". Jeff Fort of El Rukns, Bobby Gore of the Vice Lords, and Gustavo Colon of the Latin Kings were instrumental in the forming of this alliance. Among initial members to the People were the Mickey Cobras (then named the Cobra Stones), Bishops, Spanish Lords, soon after
62-456: A Presbyterian minister, Rev. John Fry, who advised Hairston and Fort how to manage their organization. In 1967, under Rev. Fry's guidance, Fort obtained a charter from the State of Illinois to form a political organization, Grassroots Independent Voters of Illinois. Fort's organization applied for and received a US$ 1 million federal grant from the now-defunct Office of Economic Opportunity to fund
93-727: A congressional mission statement of "a program which mobilizes and utilizes resources... in an attack on poverty." An unofficial allegiance with the National Congress of American Indians gave the OEO political clout that helped pass the CAPs, despite their hostility with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Tribal CAPs then dedicated much funding to Head Start for preschoolers and home improvement. Other focus areas included educational development, legal services, health centers, and economic development. One of
124-505: A conviction for drug trafficking in 1983. Fort was the second of ten children born to John Lee and Annie Fort (née Bacon; d. 2010) in Aberdeen, Mississippi . He moved with his family to the Woodlawn neighborhood on Chicago's South Side in 1955. He dropped out of Hyde Park High School after the ninth grade. Fort spent time at Cook County temporary juvenile detention center and at
155-536: A coup, he replaced the Stones' 21 generals with five close allies and renamed the Black P. Stone Nation to El Rukn . In early–1977, Fort purchased The Oakwood, an old vacant movie theater located at 3947 South Drexel Ave., as their headquarters, naming it The Fort . Law enforcement speculated the motive for the conversion was to take advantage of restrictions on law enforcement surveillance over religious organizations. During
186-572: A program to teach job skills to gang members. The Rangers also received grants and loans from private foundations. Unlike many gangs, the Blackstone Rangers were not considered outsiders but had been largely accepted by Chicago society, with Jeff Fort even receiving an invitation from President Richard Nixon , following the 1968 election, to attend the 1969 inaugural ball . Fort declined this invitation, sending his "top man" Mickey Cogwell and one of his "generals" in his stead. After Hairston
217-530: A rival gang leader. He was sentenced to 75 years in prison, to be served consecutively with his conspiracy sentence. Fort was transferred to the newly opened ADX Florence supermax prison in Florence, Colorado , in 2006 and remains there as of 2024, being under a no-human-contact order since his arrival. Fort's daughter, Ameena Matthews, became an anti-violence activist (or "violence interrupter") in Chicago with
248-658: A target of both left-wing and right-wing critics of the war on poverty legislation. President Richard Nixon 's appointment of Howard Phillips as Acting Director of OEO in January 1973 touched off a national controversy culminating in a court case in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ( Williams v. Phillips , 482 F.2d 669) challenging the legality of Phillips' appointment. The Court found Phillips's appointment illegal because it failed to meet
279-461: Is an American mobster and former gang kingpin from Chicago, Illinois . Fort co-founded the Black P. Stones gang and is the founder of its El Rukn faction. Fort is currently serving a 168-year prison sentence after being convicted of conspiracy and weapons charges in 1987 for plotting to commit attacks inside the U.S. in exchange for weapons and $ 2.5 million from Libya , ordering a murder in 1981 and
310-572: The Blackstone Rangers /Black P. Stone Ranger Nation, one of the larger street gangs. The alliance's term "five alive, six must die" is in reference to the five-pointed star versus the six-pointed star of their rivals in the Folk Nation alliance. Commonly used by the People Nation alliance are drawings of pitchforks pointed down in disrespect to the Folk Nation alliance. Certain terms are used by
341-665: The Community Services Administration (CSA) in 1975. The Richard Nixon administration made an unsuccessful effort to dismantle the agency in the 1970s. It was then successfully dismantled in 1981 by the Ronald Reagan administration , as it was moved into the Department of Health and Human Services as the Office of Community Services , with most of its programs continuing to operate. The Office of Economic Opportunity
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#1732858124867372-570: The Gaylords and the Insane Popes of the South Side. Gangs that are members of the People Nation alliance regardless of status of activity are as follows: Gangs demonstrate their particular alignment by "representing" through symbols, colors, graffiti, hand signs , and words. Representing also encompasses physical orientation to the left side of the body. The People Nation Gangs wear all identifiers to
403-656: The Illinois State Training School for Boys in St. Charles , where he met Eugene "Bull" Hairston. Around 1959, Fort and Hairston formed the Blackstone Rangers gang at St. Charles Juvenile Detention Center. The Blackstone Rangers originated as a small youth gang along Blackstone Avenue in the Woodlawn area, assembled to defend themselves against other gangs in the South Side. Hairston was the gang's leader with Fort as second in command. The Rangers fought rival gangs, especially
434-707: The United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth and was paroled in 1976. During his time at Leavenworth, Fort converted to Islam and assumed the name Prince Malik. After his release from prison in 1976, he moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and joined the Moorish Science Temple . Fort then renamed the Black P. Stones to the El Rukn Tribe of the Moorish Science Temple, El Rukn being Arabic for "the pillar". In 1978, Fort returned to Chicago. In
465-480: The 1970s, the gang trafficked in cocaine and heroin. In 1983, Fort was convicted of drug trafficking charges and sentenced to 13 years in prison. He was sent to the Federal Correctional Institution at Bastrop, Texas . Fort continued to lead El Rukn through daily telephone calls from prison. He ordered members of El Rukn to meet with Libyan officials. The gang agreed to commit terrorist acts in
496-544: The Al Hafeez Initiative. Matthews was featured in the 2011 documentary film The Interrupters . Office of Economic Opportunity The Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) was the agency responsible for administering most of the War on Poverty programs created as part of United States President Lyndon B. Johnson 's Great Society legislative agenda. It was established in 1964 as an independent agency and renamed
527-644: The Devil's Disciples. During the early 1960s, Fort earned the nickname "Angel" for his ability to solve disputes and form alliances between the Rangers and other gangs. By the mid 1960s, Fort assembled a coalition of 21 gangs with about 5,000 members. He organized the coalition under a governing body called the "Main 21", composed of 21 gang leaders or "generals". As the Ranger organization grew, it became involved in community and political activism. The gang also received support from
558-645: The National Council of OEO Locals. With the passage of the Community Service Act (CSA) in 1975, Congressional reauthorization replaced the OEO with the Community Services Administration (CSA). The new agency retained its independent status as a smaller operating agency. President Ronald Reagan took office in 1981 with campaign promises to shrink social programs and return power to the states. Reagan acted on these promises by signing
589-593: The Office of Community Services became one of ACF's programs. Native Americans in the United States were among the main beneficiaries of the Office of Economic Opportunity when it was first established. R. Sargent Shriver , then director of the OEO, contacted Dr. James Wilson in 1964 and asked if he would lead a department that solely concentrated on poverty within Indian Country. Dr. Wilson accepted, and after taking
620-650: The Omnibus Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1981, legislation that significantly reduced the federal deficit and funding to antipoverty agencies. On September 30, 1981, OBRA transferred functions via the Community Services Block Grant to the states and a small staff in the Office of Community Services in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in Washington, D.C., abolishing the regional offices and approximately 1000 jobs. Although CSA
651-478: The People Nation alliance, such as "all is well" when greeting each other. The five-pointed star is not the only symbol used by the People Nation. Others include a 3D pyramid, a five-pointed crown, a die with its front-side showing five dots, a crescent moon with its concave side facing to the right and sometimes with a small five-pointed star to the right of that moon symbol. Jeff Fort Jeff Fort (born February 20, 1947), also known as Abdul Malik Ka'bah ,
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#1732858124867682-461: The U.S. in exchange for US$ 2.5 million. In 1987, Fort was tried and convicted for conspiring with Libya to perform acts of domestic terrorism on behalf of a foreign government. He was sentenced to 80 years' imprisonment, consecutive to his drug trafficking sentence, and transferred to USP Marion (the federal prison in Marion, Illinois ). In 1988, Fort was convicted of ordering the 1981 murder of
713-441: The jobs program came under investigation amid accusations that grant money was diverted to criminal activities. Fort was subpoenaed to testify before a Senate committee. Fort introduced himself at the committee hearings and walked out; for this, he was convicted of contempt of Congress . In 1972, Fort and two others were convicted of misusing federal funds and Fort was sentenced to five years in prison. Fort served two years at
744-498: The late 19th century. Rough Rock's success led to the creation of the Navajo Community College (now Diné College), the first modern tribal college, and a movement that later expanded to over thirty higher education institutions. Although the Office of Economic Opportunity was abolished in 1981, its legacy persists today. Its programs still exists, although in modified form, among other federal agencies, particularly
775-415: The left. An earring in the left, a left pants leg rolled up, and a cap tilted to the left may all indicate affiliation to the alliance. The People Nation's hand sign is thrown to the left shoulder. The gang members fold their arms in a manner that is pointed to the left. The People Nation alliance in most instances uses a five-pointed star in their gang graffiti. The five-pointed star has its origins with
806-627: The notable outcomes of the OEO Indian initiative occurred in Navajo country. The Rough Rock Demonstration School was established to provide education that incorporated Navajo culture while also preparing students for interactions with the broader society. Run by Navajo, the school became the first wholly Native American–controlled school since the federal government took over the schools of the Five Civilized Tribes of Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) in
837-409: The position, began to act as a "small 'a' activist" and a "big 'M' Manipulator" to "manipulate the system" of federal government dealings with Native Americans to lead to an increase in their political power. Consequently, they excelled at flexibility and creativity to allow Native American tribes to receive direct funding. The key OEO institution was the community action program (CAP), bestowed with
868-400: The statutory circumstances enabling the appointment of an interim director without Senate confirmation as required by the U.S. Constitution. This judgment was upheld on appeal. President Nixon's attempt to impound appropriated funds for OEO was ruled unconstitutional by Judge William B. Jones on April 11, 1973, in a case brought by Local 2677, AFGE; West Central Missouri Rural Dev. Corp.; and
899-646: Was created through the efforts of President Lyndon Johnson in his War on Poverty campaign, which aimed to tackle economic and racial inequality. In 1964, Johnson signed the Economic Opportunity Act, the legislative keystone for this campaign that provided funding for the OEO as a new agency within the Office of the President. R. Sargent Shriver served as its first director. The Office administered antipoverty programs such as VISTA , Job Corps , Community Action Program , and Head Start , and it quickly became
930-621: Was dismantled, most of the agency's programs continued to be operated either by HHS or by other federal agencies. In 1986, the Office of Community Service was housed within the HHS Family Support Administration. In 1991, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) was created by merging two HHS agencies: the Office of Human Development Services and the Family Support Administration. With this union,
961-466: Was imprisoned in 1966, Fort assumed command of the Rangers. By 1968, he renamed it to the Almighty Black P. Stone Nation or Black P. Stones . The Stones engaged in robberies, extortion, and forced recruitment while also acting to keep order in the South Side. The Stones also gained control of vice in the South Side, demanding protection payments from prostitution operations and drug dealers. In 1969