Gang Leader For a Day

Venkatesh has now spent three years researching life at Robert Taylor Homes and he starts talking to his academic advisers about his dissertation topic: what exactly will he write about? His professors are not as interested in the research on the Black Kings as he’d hoped and Prof. Wilson in particular insisted that he take a wider perspective on the role of the gang in the community. His advisers are also increasingly concerned about his safety and warn him not to get too close to any one source. This advice shocks Venkatesh and he is concerned about how to tell J.T. that he needs to take more of a community-focused approach.

Venkatesh thinks J.T. appreciates having an outsider to talk to but finds it disconcerting when he discusses his work as if he is a legitimate businessman. In fact, J.T. sees himself as a philanthropist, someone who has returned to the projects to help others. Venkatesh knows that this isn’t a complete picture of J.T’s wok and still wonders what is being hidden from him. One day, he jokingly comments that J.T.’s job is easy. J.T.’s reply is “If you think it’s so easy, you try it” (74).