Gang Leader For A Day audiobook cover - A Rogue Sociologist Crosses The Line

Gang Leader For A Day

A Rogue Sociologist Crosses The Line

Sudhir Venkatesh

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Categories:
PoliticsBiography & Memoir

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Gang Leader For A Day
The Underground Economy+
Systemic Neglect & Corruption+
The Black Kings Gang+
Project Power Brokers+
Research Challenges+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8
Despite official statistics showing 96 percent unemployment, how do residents of the Robert Taylor Homes primarily survive financially?
  • A. By relying entirely on temporary government welfare and food banks.
  • B. Through a thriving underground economy of shared services, illicit income, and manual labor.
  • C. By commuting to low-wage factory jobs in neighboring Chicago suburbs.
  • D. Through charitable donations provided directly by the Chicago Housing Authority.
Question 2 of 8
Why do residents of the housing projects rarely call 911 during emergencies?
  • A. Emergency calls from the projects are routinely ignored by the authorities.
  • B. They cannot afford the fees associated with ambulance dispatch.
  • C. The building manager strictly forbids any contact with the outside world.
  • D. The local gang has jammed the phone lines to prevent police interference.
Question 3 of 8
What surprising requirement did the Black Kings gang enforce among its members?
  • A. Members were required to donate half their earnings to the local church.
  • B. Members had to be currently in school or hold a high school diploma.
  • C. Members were forbidden from carrying weapons inside the housing project.
  • D. Members had to complete a minimum number of community service hours per week.
Question 4 of 8
How did the Black Kings interact with residents who ran independent underground businesses, such as selling candy or sex?
  • A. The gang provided them with free security to boost the local economy.
  • B. The gang ignored them as long as they did not sell crack cocaine.
  • C. The gang extorted protection money from them, beating those who refused to pay.
  • D. The gang recruited them to launder drug money through their small businesses.
Question 5 of 8
In what way did JT, the leader of the Black Kings, operate similarly to a corporate manager?
  • A. He provided full health insurance and retirement benefits to his foot soldiers.
  • B. He outsourced the gang's drug distribution to independent contractors.
  • C. He held weekly meetings to gather data, review sales reports, and offer financial incentives.
  • D. He heavily invested the gang's profits in the stock market and local real estate.
Question 6 of 8
What did the author discover when he was allowed to be 'gang leader for a day'?
  • A. The role was mostly driving around and enjoying a high-status lifestyle.
  • B. The job involved complex negotiations, delegating chores, and administering violent discipline.
  • C. The gang members refused to listen to an outsider, leading to a minor mutiny.
  • D. The local police immediately targeted him, forcing him to end the experiment early.
Question 7 of 8
What role does Ms. Bailey, the building manager, play in the Robert Taylor Homes?
  • A. She acts as a powerful gatekeeper, collecting bribes to fix apartments while also caring for neglected children.
  • B. She is a strict enforcer for the Chicago Housing Authority who evicts anyone associated with gangs.
  • C. She acts as an undercover informant for the local police department.
  • D. She is a powerless figurehead who is constantly bullied by the Black Kings into giving up her salary.
Question 8 of 8
What legal dilemma did the author face while conducting his sociological research in the projects?
  • A. He was sued by the Chicago Housing Authority for trespassing on government property.
  • B. He lacked the legal right to protect confidential sources, risking jail time if subpoenaed to testify about the gang's crimes.
  • C. He was repeatedly arrested by corrupt police officers who wanted to confiscate his research notes.
  • D. He was legally required to publish his findings under a pseudonym to protect the gang's identity.

Gang Leader For A Day — Full Chapter Overview

Gang Leader For A Day Summary & Overview

Gang Leader For A Day is based on author Sudhir Venkatesh’s ten years of personal, in-depth research conducted on-site at the notorious Robert Taylor Homes public housing projects in Chicago. Ignored by city government and law enforcement, residents in the close-knit community rely only on local gangs and each other for basic services and social support.

Who Should Listen to Gang Leader For A Day?

  • Anyone interested in the influence of gangs in the United States
  • Anyone curious about what it takes to be a gang leader
  • Anyone interested in how poor communities are supported by underground economies

About the Author: Sudhir Venkatesh

Sudhir Venkatesh is a sociology professor at Columbia University, with a focus on communities in public housing projects, and has written articles for the The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune and The Washington Post.

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