When and where did the Black Spades gang start?
The Black Spades started in 1968 in the Bronxdale Houses in the Soundview section of the Bronx, New York. The gang officially formed at Junior High School 123 on Morrison Avenue in Soundview.
Questions about Black Spades
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What was the Black Spades' connection to hip hop?
Several founding figures of hip hop were Black Spades members. Disco King Mario, considered one of hip hop's founding fathers, was a leader and original member. Afrika Bambaataa rose through the gang's ranks before leaving to found the Universal Zulu Nation on the 12th of November 1977. DJ Kool Herc also named the Black Spades among the gangs present at the start of the hip hop scene.
Who founded the Black Spades and what were their original goals?
David Brockington, a member of the Nation of Islam, served as the first president of the Black Spades. The group organized to fight racism and bigotry in Bronx neighborhoods including Soundview, Clason Point, and Throgs Neck, and to police the Bronxdale Houses against drug dealers and rising crime.
What is the Black Spades doing today?
Since 2019 the Black Spades have operated as TBS New Direction, a community service group focused on anti-violence initiatives and food distribution for the food insecure. In early 2022, a group affiliated with the name re-emerged in the River Park Towers complex in the West Bronx with plans for homeless food drives and after-school programs at CIS 229.
Why did Afrika Bambaataa leave the Black Spades?
Afrika Bambaataa left the Black Spades to found the Universal Zulu Nation on the 12th of November 1977, taking several members with him. The Universal Zulu Nation channeled the energy of gang culture into hip hop and community organization.
How did the Black Spades spread beyond the Bronx?
By the late 1980s the Black Spades had expanded from the Bronx into Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island, as well as New Rochelle in New York State and locations in Massachusetts and Connecticut. During this period the membership became more racially diverse, with Latino and white members more common than in the gang's early years.