Gang Leader For a Day

Venkatesh begins to spend time with J.T. and some of the senior members of his gang. He tells us that it would take him years to learn the details of J.T.’s life but, in the first few weeks of their acquaintance, Venkatesh discovered that J.T. grew up in the projects and won an athletic scholarship to college; he loved to talk about history and politics. After graduating, he got a job but was frustrated by the limited opportunities he had as a young black man. He chose to return to the projects and joined the Black Kings in the hope of making a better life for himself.

Venkatesh and J.T. often hang out at diners, where they discuss topics ranging from the history of Chicago to the sociological literature on gangs. J.T. always offers to pay for Venkatesh’s meals, for which he is very grateful. Sometimes they would sit in silence while J.T. worked out the logistics of gang operations and Venkatesh read his textbooks. J.T. writes almost nothing down—he doesn’t want to leave any evidence of his gang’s activities—and as a result, he has an excellent memory. While Venkatesh does make notes of his time with the Black Kings, he hardly ever does so in front of J.