David Barksdale
David Barksdale, famously known as King David, was a formidable figure in 1960s and 70s Chicago, an American gangster who founded the Black Disciples street gang. Yet, he also sought an end to the relentless violence, leading to an unlikely alliance that profoundly reshaped the city's criminal landscape. His story is a complex tapestry of power, conflict, and a surprising pursuit of peace in a violent world. David Barksdale founded the influential Black Disciples gang, consolidating power among smaller groups in Chicago's South Side. Despite his criminal enterprise, Barksdale eventually sought to reduce gang violence by merging with a rival leader, forming the Black Gangster Disciple Nation. His death at 27, due to complications from an old bullet wound, cemented his legend and is still commemorated by his followers.
AI Summary
David Barksdale, famously known as King David, was a formidable figure in 1960s and 70s Chicago, an American gangster who founded the Black Disciples street gang. Yet, he also sought an end to the relentless violence, leading to an unlikely alliance that profoundly reshaped the city's criminal landscape. His story is a complex tapestry of power, conflict, and a surprising pursuit of peace in a violent world.
- David Barksdale founded the influential Black Disciples gang, consolidating power among smaller groups in Chicago's South Side.
- Despite his criminal enterprise, Barksdale eventually sought to reduce gang violence by merging with a rival leader, forming the Black Gangster Disciple Nation.
- His death at 27, due to complications from an old bullet wound, cemented his legend and is still commemorated by his followers.
King David of Chicago
David Barksdale, born Donise David Barksdale, hailed from the quiet, rural landscape of Sallis, Mississippi. As the tenth of thirteen children, his early life was far removed from the urban sprawl that would soon define him. In 1957, his family moved to Chicago, Illinois—a city that would become both the stage and the crucible of his legend.
It didn't take long for the young Barksdale to make his indelible mark on Chicago's South Side. Within just three years of arriving, he had already established a small, remarkably organized gang in his neighborhood. This wasn't merely a casual street crew; Barksdale demonstrated an early, almost uncanny ability for leadership and structure.
By 1966, Barksdale's influence had swelled dramatically. His burgeoning gang successfully absorbed numerous smaller, weaker organizations, consolidating their power and establishing a formidable presence. Across the South Side, they became widely known as the Black Disciple Nation, a force to be reckoned with.
However, the growing dominance of the Black Disciples inevitably sparked intense rivalries. Escalating tensions with other powerful gangs, particularly the notorious Black Stone Rangers and the Supreme Gangsters, transformed Chicago's streets into volatile battlegrounds, marked by frequent and violent clashes.
An Alliance Forged in Conflict
Surprisingly, Barksdale, despite his reputation for ruthlessness, grew weary of the relentless cycle of bloodshed. In a move that shocked many, he extended an olive branch to a formidable adversary: Larry Hoover, the leader of the rival Supreme Gangsters. Barksdale proposed an audacious, almost revolutionary idea—a complete merger of their two organizations.
In 1973, Larry Hoover accepted Barksdale's unprecedented proposal. This historic agreement united two previously warring factions, giving birth to a powerful new entity: the Black Gangster Disciple Nation. It was an extraordinary attempt to bring a new kind of order, or perhaps an uneasy truce, to Chicago's volatile gang landscape.
Life on the Edge
Throughout his turbulent life, Barksdale had numerous encounters with the law, accumulating a remarkable 25 arrests. Yet, astonishingly, he served only short jail sentences and was never convicted of a serious crime, a testament to his elusive nature. On several occasions, he shrewdly used the alias "David Jones" to evade deeper legal repercussions.
A Legacy Cut Short
Barksdale's reign, however, was tragically cut short by a brutal assassination attempt in June 1970. Outside a bar on 848 West 69th Street, members of the rival Black P Stone Rangers ambushed him and Larry Hoover, unleashing a hail of M14 rifle fire. This violent ambush shattered a fragile truce that had been painstakingly established between the warring gangs.
Although Barksdale survived the initial assault, the severe bullet wounds he sustained would ultimately prove fatal. On September 2, 1974, at the tragically young age of 27—a number often associated with other cultural icons whose lives were cut short—David Barksdale succumbed to kidney failure, a direct consequence of those earlier injuries. He was laid to rest at Restvale Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois.
Barksdale was survived by his wife, Yvonne, and their three children: David, Melinda, and Ronnie. Tragically, the shadow of violence continued to follow his family even after his death; one son was murdered by a Black Disciple in 1996, and Yvonne herself was murdered just three years after David, in June 1977.
Enduring Influence
Despite his controversial life and violent past, David Barksdale remains a revered figure among the Black Disciples, who consider him their visionary founder. Each year, a birthday celebration is held in his honor, a powerful testament to his lasting impact and the enduring loyalty he commanded from his followers.
In 2008, this ongoing reverence sparked significant controversy when the Black Disciples organization sponsored a parade in Barksdale's name, which was officially registered and supported by the Chicago City Council. This unusual civic recognition drew sharp criticism from the Fraternal Order of Police, who warned of potential gang violence, underscoring the complex and often fraught nature of Barksdale's enduring legacy.
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David Barksdale
Donise David Barksdale (May 24, 1947 – September 2, 1974), also known as King David, was an American gangster and activist from Chicago, Illinois. He was the founder of the Black Disciples. He and Larry Hoover (leader of the Gangster Disciples) decided to merge and create the Black Gangster Disciple Nation. Barksdale died on September 2, 1974, due to kidney failure, at the age of 27.
Biography
David Barksdale
Born Donise David Barksdale in Sallis, Mississippi to parents Virginia and Charlie Barksdale, he was the tenth of thirteen children. His family moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1957.
Within three years of arriving, Barksdale had formed a small but well-organized gang in his neighborhood. By 1966, his gang, having absorbed several weaker organizations into its ranks, was referred to as the Black Disciple Nation. Tensions grew between the Black Disciples and other gangs such as the Black Stone Rangers and the Supreme Gangsters.
Barksdale eventually grew sick of the bloodshed and proposed a merger with Larry Hoover, founder of the Supreme Gangsters, in 1973. Hoover accepted, and the Black Gangster Disciple Nation was born.
Over the course of his life, Barksdale was arrested 25 times but only served short jail sentences and was never convicted of a serious crime. On several occasions when he was arrested, he used the alias "David Jones".
Death and legacy
David Barksdale
Barksdale's grave at Restvale Cemetery
On September 2, 1974, Barksdale died from kidney failure related to bullet wounds he received in a June 1970 assassination attempt by members of the Black P Stone Rangers armed with M14 rifles outside of a bar Barksdale was frequenting with Larry Hoover on 848 West 69th Street. The botched hit ended a truce that was in place at the time between the Rangers and the Disciples. Barksdale was buried at Restvale Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois. He was survived by his three children: David, Melinda and Ronnie Barksdale (one of whom was murdered by a Black Disciple in 1996), and wife Yvonne Barksdale (née Yarber), until she was murdered three years later in June 1977.
Barksdale is still revered by the Black Disciples. Every year, a birthday celebration is held in his honor. In 2008, there was a parade that was sponsored and supported by the Black Disciples organization, and in a controversial move, registered by the Chicago City Council for the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend. The parade was criticized by the Fraternal Order of Police, and officers administering the event were forewarned about potential gang violence.