I had been waiting for this moment for about three weeks. I strategically picked out what I would wear to class. No red. No blue. The thought process: I don’t want this brother to come up in here and have any flashbacks. Green? Yeah, green is pretty safe. I’ve never had to think about this before. Growing up, I could wear any color I pleased. No second thoughts. Just roll out of bed, throw on something, and leave the house without reservation. Not tonight though. Tonight was different. In fact, the past two years have been different. I moved to Pasadena and wore red with reckless abandon. I had all kinds of red shirts in my closet, so they were part of the regular rotation. I didn’t know any better. I even drove down to my fiancee’s grandmother’s house in South Central L.A. (off of Manchester) wearing a red shirt. Two years later I’m smarter. I realized that the Pasadena Denver Lanes (a Blood outfit) lived closer to me than I realized. I realized that driving down to South Central decked out in red attire might not be the smartest idea. So tonight I didn’t want to take any chances. Green would be safe. Boy was I in for a surprise.
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I’ve seen it on TV. I’ve read about it. I know what a gangbanger looks like, so I know what a former gang banger should look like. I know the swagger they walk with. I know the gangbanger dialect. So I was really excited to hear from a former gangbanger tonight. Mr. Rodriguez walked in the the room an hour into the class. He wore a long coat, dress slacks, and a pair of rimmed glasses. He was an older gentleman (I would give him about 38 years old at best). An African-American male, he was about 6’1” and weighed about 235 lbs. He had the build of an NFL linebacker. And I thought, “Yeah, he must have been an enforcer.” After a brief overview of gangs, the professor introduced the brother. He got up and began talking. At this moment, my life was touched in a very profound way.
Rodriguez, a former Crip, grew up in South Central Los Angeles. Contrary to my initial assessment, the brother was 51 years old. He attended Jefferson High School in L.A. and later transferred to Fremont High, where he befriended Raymond Washington (the founder of the Crips). He also grew up with “Tookie” Williams, a former notable figure in the Crip gang. Rodriguez spoke from the heart. You really begin to understand the power of narrative once you hear one as amazing as his story. A few things that really affected me deeply:
- When he was 15 years old, he shot a man in the chest. There was a neighborhood drunk who constantly harassed him as he walked down the street. He felt disrespected by this man. He spoke about hearing three voices at this time: the flesh, the enemy, and the Holy Spirit. After the fact, it is interesting to think about the theology behind these warring factions (certainly a biblical portrayal of the “flesh-spirit” dichotomy in decision making). As he crossed the street (continually being heckled), he heard a voice say, “shoot him.” He pulled out a pistol and shot the man. The man survived, but as a gang member he noted that there was no way you could let anyone disrespect you in any way. He continued this lifestyle for several years.
- He mentioned that he was born into the gang lifestyle. He felt like there was no other choice. His father was a gangster, so it was expected of him. The thing he said that hit me the most was that he and his peers didn’t know one Christian man. Not one!!! They had no positive role models in their lives. This was mind blowing to me. This is why I am so excited about this Bikes for Kids Project I am doing. It should open up doors for mentoring opportunities for at risk youth in Pasadena.
- He was shot with an oozie in the back in his early 30’s. He was not in a gang at the time. In fact, he was a believer in Christ, a Metro bus driver and felt that he was called to minister to people on his route. He was walking home one night and a group of gang members approached him and demanded his jewelry. One of them shot him in the back with an oozie. The shots went straight through his back and out the front side of his chest (near his heart mind you). And he survived!!! An oozie!!!!
- All of his peers are currently incarcerated, many serving 25 years to life. He mentioned that the only reason that he is not in the same predicament is because of God’s call on his life. He didn’t feel like he did anything differently. He knew that it was only by the grace of God that he was standing with and speaking to us last night.
- He has served as a chaplain for various youth authorities and is currently on staff at the City of Refuge Church in Gardena, California. When asked about the one thing the Gospel can offer young gang members he unequivocally said, “Hope.” Just offer them hope. He mentioned seeing the toughest gang members break down when he would just walk up and put his hand on their shoulders. A simple touch. Sounds simple, but many of these young men and women have not had that touch. They have had parents who are absent. An arm on the shoulder or a hug breaks down walls that have been built up.
My eyes were opened last night. This brother was smart, articulate, driven and had a passion for these kids. Sometimes you can just tell when God is working in a person’s life. This man was no exception. So I walked out of the classroom last night with my “neutral” colors on and just chuckled. It’s certainly true that you can never judge a book by its cover, but that brother walked in and wrote a God-infused autobiography on the hearts of me and my classmates. For that, I am grateful.
