Renegade Dreams Chapter 2 PDF

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Guided Reading Form: Renegade Dreams – Chapter 2, 3, 4, or 5 DIRECTIONS: Using this form, select and respond to one of chapters 2-5 of Renegade Dreams, summarizing the argument and showing how the chapter you've chosen fits into the overall argument of the book. The GFR is due on the day we plan to discuss the chapter you have chosen: Ch. 2 – Nov.29 Ch. 3 – Dec. 1 Ch. 4 – Dec. 6 Ch. 5 – Dec. 8 For whichever chapter you choose, download this form from Blackboard and type in your responses under each question (single-spaced), taking as much space as you need to answer each question, aiming for 2-3 pages. Bring a hard copy ready to submit at the beginning of class. In addition, post a copy to SafeAssign. 1. Summarize the general argument Laurence is making in the chapter: a. What is the overall claim of the chapter? (1-2 sentences) The overall claim of this chapter is that the youth or renegades, of the gangs are often looked down upon by older members of the gangs for their obsession with shoes and their disruptive behavior. Gangs have many different stories and viewpoints, all of which can change depending on who you talk to in the gang. b. What kinds of research/evidence does he present in this specific chapter to ground this claim? (12 sentences) Laurence Ralph conducts interviews with a couple previous gang leaders, including Mr. Otis and Red, a significant leader of the Roving Knights. They both believe that the gangs now lack leadership and structure. Ralph also interviews Danny, a boy he met at a career fair, about his experiences in the gang so young. c. Trace out his argument, showing how he presents his evidence in this chapter to ground his claim. (1.5 pages) In his interviews with Mr. Otis and Red, Ralph uncovers many interesting details about the gangs. Mr. Otis prefers to use his cane as a symbol of his gang, rather than his shoes. He points out that the top of the cane “represents [their] ability to make things happen…the dice represent [their] hustle…the playboy rabbit…that [they’re] in swift thought,” (61) and so on. When Mr. Otis was younger in the Divine Knights, the gang worked to build schools and recreational centers for the community (63). The gang had a political agenda, rather than a criminal one, that they were going to announce after Dr. King’s speech the day that he was assassinated. The Knights were trying to set up their nonviolent agenda, but Dr. King’s assassination led to a great amount of looting and violence in the community, making it difficult. The knights were deemed by the police as a criminal gang, rather than a political gang, due to the increase in drug activity. Red spoke about how in his gang, the members were respectful members of the community. If they were playing dice in the streets, they moved out of the way for women to pass by. They stopped selling drugs once the children got out of school and were roaming around the streets. Everyone in the gang had to go to school; if they didn’t, they would face sanctions. The gang assigned ‘soldiers’ for kids whose parents were not in the picture; someone to make sure that they go to school okay every day and were okay at home. Red compared drugs that his gang sold to muffins. He talked about how they would sell muffins, but very low key, so that the police wouldn’t necessarily notice. People like Red and Mr. Otis don’t even use the term renegade; they have very little respect for gang youth.

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Ralph also attended career day at Brown high school, a high school with a population that was 99.9% black. The theme was Power that year, and a debate broke out about who was more powerful, Jay-Z or Obama. One student, Danny, argued for Obama. The student who argued for Jay-Z made points about how he wanted to be like Jay-Z, how to live in the hood like Jay-Z, because he basically already does. Danny argued for Obama, because he said that “If we get evicted, what’s Jay-Z gonna do? When you’re living in you’re car that don’t have no gas, and don’t work- can’t even turn on the radio. How you gonna listen to Jay-Z? What then, huh?” (77). Ralph decided to interview Danny after this comment. Ralph points out that he didn’t expect the majority of his interviews to take place in a juvenile detention center. Danny was sent to a juvenile detention center because of a situation involving what the court claims was an “attempted murder” of a police officer. Danny stopped selling drugs for his gang, but was still expected to contribute, so the leader, Kemo, told him he had to carry a gun in case a shootout ended up happening. Danny did, and was followed home by police one day. The policemen got out of their car and came to talk to him at the door, when he ran so that he wouldn’t get in trouble. He tried to get rid of the gun by tossing it over a fence into an alley, but since the safety had come unlocked, the gun fired when it landed. The police took this as Danny shooting at them, while Danny thought they were shooting at him, so he evaded the police and ran to his brother’s apartment. Eventually his correctional officer, Mr. Randall, who he met at career day, called him and told him he needed to turn himself in. Ralph brings up many points for his arguments from various points of views, one from a current renegade, and a few from older gang members. Each story is slightly different based on who he talked to. 2. Briefly summarize the general argument of the whole book, as it appears in the first few chapters: a. What is the overall claim of the book? (1-2 sentences) The neighborhood in Chicago is not a place of injury and violence, but rather a place of dreams and institutions. It’s a way for kids to make a better life. b. Summarize the research Laurence presents in this book to ground its overall claim. (1-2 sentences) The research in this book is mostly comprised of interviews and in-school observations, made by Laurence Ralph as he spent time in the neighborhood getting to know the members. 3. Explain how the specific argument in the chapter you have chosen contributes to supporting the overall claim the book is making. (1 paragraph) The claim in the chapter I read relates to that of the whole book because this chapter was solely about the renegades and how they are seen in the community. Renegades experience much different things than gang members did 20-30 years ago, and have different struggles that they have to go through. This chapter supports the claim of the book because it is showing how children need the gang and the neighborhood to help them get the gang back to what it used to be. In the chapter, Career Day at the school had the theme of Power. It was the second year in a row that Obama was brought up. The people at the school were trying to show the students that they can become president, and they can do what they set their minds to.

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