King David and Boss Daley: The Black Disciples, Mayor Daley, and Chicago on the Edge

by Lance Williams

In Chicago in mid-twentieth century amid the haze and smoke of urban renewal and the sounds of the wrecking balls and bulldozers, there lived two men, both street-savvy, one Black, one Irish, one young, one old and both leaders of their clans. Each ruled with an iron fist. Each embodied the fighting spirit of the turbulent 1960s. One was David Barksdale, the Black Disciples leader, a Black youth club that would give birth to America's largest street gang; the other was Richard J. Daley, the legendary Mayor of the City of Chicago. He was one of the longest-serving, most prominent mayors in American history and the last of the big-city "bosses." Although the two never met, at least not face-to-face, their fates were linked by a time of change, an era of protest, which was a decisive moment of transformational power that was on the verge of a violent uprising in America's second-largest city. This is a book that is as lively as its subject. A braided narrative of two larger than life people, it has the boldness to combine two oddly related 1960s stories into a single narrative that is both intimate and epic. One captures the unlikely story of a Negro boy whose share-cropping family migrated from rural Mississippi to Chicago, where he started a street gang that became the largest in America. The book's other path follows America's last big city "boss," whose persona is legendary and bigger than life. While historians, political pundits, and those who knew him speak of "Hizzonor" as being a proud, Irish-Catholic who was the long-time godfather of the Chicago Democratic Party and Mayor who saved Chicago from becoming another Detroit or Cleveland, they also acknowledge that he was a fierce segregationist. He had a contentious relationship with civil rights leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Richard Daley also played a significant role in the history of the United States Democratic Party. Williams an internationally recognized gang expert and interventionist, eloquently tells the story of these men, their clans, and their on-going struggle for power, status, and legacy. However unheard of and unimaginable, some of the incidents may seem, this is not a work of fiction. Everything written comes from archival documents, official reports, focus groups, in-depth interviews, or first-hand accounts. The action takes place mostly in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood. Still, there are some occasions where the action takes place in Bronzeville, the Woodlawn community, on the West Side of the City and downtown.

338 pages, Hardcover

Published February 1, 2023

Reviews

[John Ceffalio · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a neat book, with a unique and knowledgeable perspective, and excellent research. It needed tighter editing though, there were typos and some sections could have been tightened up.

[Viral · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting and fascinating book!

I've read books about Chicago history told from the perspective and POV of the people on top; the mayors, City Hall, power brokers.

And I've read books about Chicago history from the POV of the people on the ground, hustling and organizing for a better future.

This is a very unique and interesting story that weaves two very different individuals on opposite ends of the table. On one end, Mayor Richard J Daley, Da Mayor, the American Pharoah, boss of the most powerful Democratic Party machine in modern history. On the other, we have David Barksdale, leader of the Black Disciples, one of the largest Black gangs in Chicago's history. Both of these men, who never met, operated and responded to the turbulent situation in Chicago in the 1960s. Through them, we see the twin struggles of a machine dominated City Hall dealing with the collapse of legal segregation and a dispossessed and struggling Black working class increasingly radicalizing to their conditions. While short and at times a bit editorialized (especially regarding the inter-gang warfare), this is a really cool story and one I will definitely recommend to others. A new perspective on a well known story of Chicago during the 60s.

[Jay Coyden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lance Williams has the research skills, contacts and personal knowledge to write this book and it flows beautifully. It gives a more accurate representation of how and why Black Street gangs were started in Chicago and how they morphed into the dysfunctional organizations they are today void of leadership and direction. What could have been an asset to the community morphed into a cancer and it was pushed in that direction by political and law enforcement operatives seeking to maintain power.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly well-researched and insightful. Did a great job of explaining the conditions that led to the rise of the Black Disciples and comparing that to the rise of Daley. Gained real insight into many of the main figures in Chicago's gang scene at the time and explained why they were such a threat to the people in power.

[Justin Malone · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are several really interesting pieces of information and historical context but the text itself never really coheres.

[Benjamin Nober · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great background on the informal side Daley's rise to power plus the history behind gangs in Chicago. Could do better at weaving the two stories together and spend much less time focusing on the day-to-day workings of the gangs. Many unnecessary names brought up and irrelevant tangents