Black Disciples - Wikipedia

Street gang based in Chicago, IL

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Criminal organization Black Disciples

Founded	1966; 59 years ago (1966)[1]
Founded by	David Barksdale[1]
Founding location	Chicago, Illinois, United States EST 1966
Years active	1966–present[1]
Territory	Southern Chicago
Ethnicity	African-American[2]
Membership	9,000–12,000
Criminal activities	Arms trafficking, burglary, extortion, drug trafficking, illegal gambling, kidnapping, money laundering, murder, racketeering, robbery, theft
Rivals	Gangster Disciples (conflict)[2] Vice Lords[2] Black P. Stones[2] Mickey Cobras[2]
Notable members	Chief KeefLil DurkLil ReeseKing VonFredo Santana

The Black Disciples (often abbreviated as the BD's) is an African-American street gang that originated in Chicago, Illinois.

History

[edit]

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In 1958, a group of young teenagers from the Hyde Park, Englewood, and Kenwood areas of Chicago formed an organization known as the "Devil's Disciples". The founding members included David Barksdale, Richard Strong, Mingo Shread, Prince Old Timer, Kilroy, Leonard Longstreet, Night Walker, among others. By the beginning of 1961, David Barksdale, also known as "King David," took sole leadership of the Devil’s Disciples, and appointed different members to oversee various areas within the neighborhoods.[3][4]

Barksdale's goal was to claim small gangs around the area, and turn them into factions of the Disciples. In 1966, in order to help increase recruitment and counteract threats from other gangs, David Barksdale created the "Black Disciples Nation," which helped boost recruitment numbers into the thousands.[5][6]

In 1969, Larry Hoover, the leader of the rival gang Gangster Disciples, agreed to a merger with Barksdale to create a unified gang called the "Black Gangster Disciples Nation."[7]

Soon after the alliance was formed, Larry Hoover and one member were charged and convicted for the murder of another member, and both received a life sentence in prison. This left Barksdale in charge of the gang, until he later died due to kidney complications on September 2, 1974.[2]

After Barksdale's death, ideological differences led to the creation of two rival distinct factions: the "Black Gangsters Disciples" and the "Black Disciples".[8]

A member named Mickey Bull took over the Black Disciples, and made peace with the Gangster Disciples.[when?] Bull's leadership brought about a temporary lull in the violence, until his murder by the Gangster Disciples in August 1991. In response, three Gangster Disciples were killed by the Black Disciples on August 7, 1991. This would lead to a intensity in the rivalry between 1991 and 1994 until gang leader Marvell Thompson's leadership led to an ease of tension.[9]

Murder of Yummy

[edit] Main article: Robert Sandifer

In 1994, 11-year-old member Robert "Yummy" Sandifer shot and killed a 14-year-old female pedestrian, Shavon Dean, with a 9mm semiautomatic pistol by mistake.[10]

The gang leader sent out teenaged brothers Derrick and Cragg Hardaway to get rid of Yummy. The brothers lured Yummy into an underpass, and shot him twice in the back of his head. The two were later convicted of murder.[2]

This incident brought unwanted local and national news attention to the Black Disciples, despite efforts to cover up the gang's involvement.[citation needed]

Gang structure

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In 1974, the Black Disciples had over 300 sets, with around 30 to 40 members in each set.[11]

See also

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• Gangs in Chicago
• Folk Nation

References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Knox, George W., Ph.D. (2008). "The Impact of the Federal Prosecution of the Gangster Disciples". National Gang Crime Research Center. Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved May 11, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
2. ^ a b c d e f g George Knox, Ph.D. (2004). "Gang Threat Analysis: The Black Disciples". National Gang Crime Research Center. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
3. ^ A Case Study on Gangs in Chicago’s Impoverished Ghetto David Michael Moore Retrieved 4 October 2025
4. ^ David Barksdale (1947-1974) Retrieved 4 October 2025
5. ^ Black Disciples Retrieved 4 October 2025
6. ^ David Barksdale (1947-1974) Retrieved 4 October 2025
7. ^ Larry Hoover Retrieved 4 October 2025
8. ^ David Barksdale (1947-1974) Retrieved 4 October 2025
9. ^ NONPRECEDENTIAL DISPOSITION Retrieved 4 October 2025
10. ^ Lorina Sandifer Retrieved 4 October 2025
11. ^ Knox, George (1996). "Gang Profile: The Black Disciples". Journal of Gang Violence. 3 (3). Retrieved January 5, 2022.

v t e Organized crime groups in the United States
African-American	31 Gang 39ers gang Bailey Boys Black Disciples Black Guerrilla Family Black Mafia Junior Black Mafia Black Mafia Family Black P. Stone Nation Bloods Black Spades Bloods Black P. Stones Bounty Hunter Watts Bloods Cedar Block Piru Crenshaw Mafia Gangster Bloods Elm Street Piru Fruit Town Piru Mob Piru Nine Trey Gangsters Pirus Sex Money Murder Tree Top Piru United Blood Nation Byrd Gang CBL/BFL Chambers Brothers The Council Crips Grape Street Watts Crips Kelly Park Compton Crips Nutty Blocc Compton Crips Rollin' 30s Harlem Crips Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips Rollin' 90s Neighborhood Crips South Side Compton Crips Venice Shoreline Crips D-Block Boys D.C. Blacks The Family Four Corner Hustlers Fruit Belt Gang Gangster Disciples OutLaw Gangster Disciples Hidden Valley Kings KUMI 415 Lenox Street Boys LRGP Lucerne Street Doggz Metz Gang Miami Boys Mickey Cobras Orchard Park Trailblazers Savage Nomads Schuele Boys Somali Outlaws Supreme Team Vice Lord Nation Westmob Young Boys Inc.
East andSoutheast Asian	Asian Boyz (Southeast Asian) Bahala Na Gang (Filipino) Born To Kill (Vietnamese) Fullerton Boys (Korean) Menace of Destruction (Hmong) Satanas (Filipino) Tiny Rascal Gang (primarily Cambodian) Tokyo Boyz (Japanese) Yakuza (Japanese)
Chinese andChinese-American	Bamboo Union Big Circle Gang Black Dragons Chung Ching Yee Flying Dragons Four Seas Gang Fujianese organized crime Snakeheads Ghost Shadows Jackson Street Boys Ping On Tongs Bing Kong Four Brothers Hip Sing Hop Sing On Leong Suey Sing Ying On Triads 14K Sun Yee On Wo Hop To Wah Ching White Tigers
Hispanic andLatin American	10th Street Gang (primarily Hispanic, also African-Americans) 7th Street Gang Almighty Saints (primarily Hispanic, also Whites) Barrio Azteca (Mexican) The Corporation (Cuban) Dominicans Don't Play Fresno Bulldogs (Mexican) Ghetto Brothers Hermanos de Pistoleros Latinos (primarily Mexican) Jheri Curls (Dominican) La Raza Nation (Mexican) Latin Counts (Mexican) Latin Eagles Latin Kings (Mexican / Puerto Rican) Maniac Latin Disciples Marielitos (Cuban) Mexican Mafia Mexikanemi MS-13 (Central American) Ñetas (Puerto Rican) Norteños (Mexican) Nuestra Familia (Mexican) Puro Tango Blast (Mexican) Savage Skulls Los Solidos Spanish Cobras Spanish Gangster Disciples Sureños (Mexican) 18th Street gang 38th Street gang Avenues Azusa 13 Barriox13 Culver City Boys El Monte Flores Florencia 13 Logan Heights Gang OVS Playboys Puente 13 Santa Monica 13 Toonerville Rifa 13 Varrio Nuevo Estrada Venice 13 Vineland Boys Westside Locos White Fence Temple Street Texas Syndicate (primarily Mexican) Tren de Aragua (Venezuelan) Trinitarios (Dominican) Vatos Locos Young Lords
White American	211 Crew Aryan Brotherhood Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Aryan Circle Aryan Nations Aryan Republican Army Atomwaffen Division Chicago Gaylords Combat 18 The Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm of the Lord Dead Man Incorporated Dixie Mafia European Kindred Hammerskins Keystone United Lynwood Vikings Manson Family Nazi Lowriders The Order Popes Public Enemy No. 1 Simon City Royals (primarily White, also Hispanics) State Line Mob Soldiers of Aryan Culture Spook Hunters Universal Aryan Brotherhood Volksfront
European-American	Albanian mafia Albanian Boys Rudaj Organization Greek mafia Philadelphia Greek Mob Velentzas crime family Polish Mob Russian mafia Serbian mafia
Irish-American	Irish mob Charlestown Gang Egan's Rats Gustin Gang Hogan Gang K&A Gang Mullen Gang North Side Gang Westies White Hand Gang Winter Hill Gang
Italian andItalian-American	American Mafia Bufalino crime family Buffalo crime family Chicago Outfit Cleveland crime family Colorado crime family D'Aquila crime family Dallas crime family DeCavalcante crime family Detroit Partnership Five Families (New York City) Genna crime family Kansas City crime family Los Angeles crime family Lucchese crime family Milwaukee crime family Morello crime family New Orleans crime family Patriarca crime family Philadelphia crime family Pittsburgh crime family Rochester crime family San Francisco crime family San Jose crime family Seattle crime family St. Louis crime family Trafficante crime family 10th & Oregon Crew Broadway Mob Camorra New York City East Harlem Purple Gang Jousters Murder, Inc. 'Ndrangheta New Springville Boys Sicilian Mafia South Brooklyn Boys Tanglewood Boys
Jewish-American	Jewish Mob Bugs and Meyer Mob Eastman Gang Lenox Avenue Gang Murder, Inc. Odesa mafia Purple Gang Yiddish Black Hand Zwi Migdal Israeli mafia Abergil crime family New York divorce coercion gang
Polynesian andNative American	The Company Native Mob Red Skin Kingz Sons of Samoa Tongan Crip Gang
West and South Asian	Armenian Power Chaldean mafia Independent Soldiers Israeli mafia Punjabi mafia Turkish mafia VVT (Tamil)
West African	Cape Verdean organized crime Nigerian mafia
Outlaw motorcycle gangs	Bandidos Breed Brother Speed Devils Diciples Diablos Dirty Dozen El Forastero Free Souls Galloping Goose Grim Reapers Gypsy Jokers Hells Angels Red Devils Highwaymen Iron Horsemen Mongols Outlaws Black Pistons Pagans Sons of Satan Sons of Silence Vagos Warlocks (Florida) Warlocks (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Wheels of Soul
See also Gangs in the United States List of gangs Organized crime groups in the Americas

v t e Organized crime groups in Chicago
African-American	Active Black Disciples Black P. Stones Four Corner Hustlers Gangster Disciples OutLaw Gangster Disciples Mickey Cobras Vice Lords
Chinese and Chinese-American	Active 14K Hip Sing Tong On Leong Tong
Hispanic and Latin American	Active Almighty Saints La Raza Nation Latin Counts Latin Eagles Latin Kings Maniac Latin Disciples Sinaloa Cartel Spanish Cobras Spanish Gangster Disciples Tren de Aragua Inactive Young Lords
Irish-American	Inactive North Side Gang Ragen's Colts Sheldon Gang Valley Gang
Italian-American	Active Chicago Outfit Inactive Forty-Two Gang Genna crime family Italian-American National Union
Jewish-American	Inactive Mike Heitler Samuel Morton
Middle Eastern	Inactive TAP Boyz
Outlaw motorcycle gangs	Active Hells Angels Hell's Lovers Outlaws Wheels of Soul
Polish-American	Inactive Hymie Weiss
White American	Active Gaylords Popes Simon City Royals Inactive Jousters
Events	The Battle of Barrington Black Hand Chicago circulation wars Gangster Disciples–Black Disciples conflict Operation Family Secrets Saint Valentine's Day Massacre
See also Chicago Crime Commission Folk Nation Gangs in Chicago History of gangs in Humboldt Park List of Chicago criminal organizations and crime bosses Timeline of organized crime in Chicago People Nation Organized crime groups in the United States