GUERILLA FAMILY

The Black Guerilla Family (also known as the Black Family or the Black
Vanguard) is an African American prison and street gangfounded in 1966
by George Jackson and W.L. Nolen while they were incarcerated at San Quentin
State Prison in Marin County, California.

Philosophy and goals[edit]

Inspired by Marcus Garvey, the Black Guerilla Family (BGF) was characterized
as an ideological African-American Marxist Leninist[4]revolutionary organization
composed of prisoners. It was founded with the stated goals of eradicating
racism, maintaining dignity in prison, and overthrowing the United States
government.
History[edit]

The Black Guerrilla Family was founded by George Jackson in San Quentin
State Prison during the Black Power movement. The group later became a
recognizable organized crime force in the United States.

Huey P. Newton murder[edit]

On August 22, 1989, co-founder and leader of the Black Panther Party for Self
Defense, Huey P. Newton was fatally shot outside 1456 9th St in West
Oakland by 24-year-old Black Guerilla Family member, Tyrone Robinson.
[5]

Relations between Newton and factions within the Black Guerilla Family had

been strained for nearly two decades. Former Black Panther Party members who
became BGF members in jail had become disenchanted with Newton for his
perceived abandonment of imprisoned Black Panther members and allegations
of Newton's fratricide within the party. In his book, Shadow of the Panther, Hugh
Pearson alleges that Newton was addicted to crack cocaine, and his extortion of
local BGF drug dealers to obtain free drugs added to their animosity.[6]
Robinson was convicted of the murder in August 1991 and sentenced to 32 years
for the crime.[7]

Fay Stender attempted murder[edit]

In 1979, former BGF lawyer Fay Stender was shot five times by recently paroled
Black Guerilla Family member Edward Glenn Brooks for what Brooks said was
Stenders betrayal of George Jackson. Brooks forced Stender to state: "I, Fay
Stender, admit I betrayed George Jackson and the prison movement when they
needed me most" just before he shot her.[8] Stender was left paralyzed below the
waist and in constant pain by the assault and committed suicide in Hong Kong
shortly after she testified against Brooks.[9]

Baltimore unrest[edit]
Main article: 2015 Baltimore protests
Baltimore police claimed that the Black Guerrilla Family, the Bloods, and
the Crips were "teaming up" to target police officers.[10]Later, however, leaders of
both the Bloods and the Crips denied the allegations,[11] released a video
statement asking for calm and peaceful protest in the area,[12] and joined with
police and clergy to enforce the curfew.[13] At one occasion, gang members
helped to prevent a riot at the Security Square Mall by dispersing attempted
rioters.[14] On other occasions, rival gang members helped each other to protect
black-owned businesses, black children, and reporters, diverting rioters to
Chinese- and Arab-owned businesses instead.[15]

Symbols[edit]

Crossed sabres, machetes, rifles, shotguns with the letters ( B G F ) or

( 2.7.6.)[16]

A black dragon.[16]

Inside the History of the Black

Guerrilla Family
MAY 15, 2015

The Black Guerrilla Family (BGF) formed at a time when the California
Department of Corrections (CDC) was a hot bed of gang activity.
There was a black power movement going on, the prison reform
movement going on and the drug game and street culture were at the
beginnings of what it would turn into over the next several decades.
That being said the history of the is fairly complex and confusing to
many with various reports published on websites with so called
experts claiming to state the facts of the group. But in reality the BGF
is as diverse as they come for a prison or criminal gang. Many have
flown under their banner, but the organization is not as rigid as many
would make it out to be.
The biggest fallacy surrounding the gang is that George L. Jackson,
the famous prison author who penned Soledad Brother and was later
gunned down during an escape attempt, was the founding member.
George L. Jackson was never a member, nor did he ever utter the

words Black Guerrilla Family, contrary to popular belief. The BGF was
taken from a line in his book, Soledad Brother, in which he talks about
the guys who introduced him to Black Power and said that, those
guysthey were some real Black Guerrillas.
This is important because for many years the CDC considered any
books, magazines or even a letter that mentioned George Jacksons
name as contraband. The CDC was able to get away with that due to
George Jackson allegedly being the founder of the BGF which is
considered gang or security threat group inside the CDC. It was all
founded on misinformation and this policy has been overturned by the
court system in California in recent years due to the historical lack of
evidence showing that during Jacksons lifetime there was no
evidence of the existence of the BGF.
The BGF is always cited as one of the Big 4 California prison gangs
but keep in mind that whereas groups like the Aryan Brotherhood and
and Mexican Mafia pretty much operate with one brain, the BGF isnt
like that as it stands today. Not to say they arent highly organized, but
for various reasons, some internal and external, there is some
fragmentation in the organization. To get the real deal on the BGF we
got with a guy in the know that wishes for his identity to remain a
secret. But we will call him Right side, and Right side got with Gorilla
Convict to give us the 411 on the legendary gang and what their status
is today.

What is the state of the BGF

today?
The state of BGF today. Well a former Crip gang member who spent
17 years in the CDC stated that in all of his 17 years hed only met 2
members of BGF. He described them as old and bitter individuals.
One has to keep in mind the history of when BGF formed. When they
formed they were considered a big threat to the CDC due to their
politics. Much of the BGF hardliners were rounded up and sent to the
SHU for extensive lengths of time. This pulling of BGF members off
the mainline was also done as a power play to strengthen the other
groups that were making a play for power at the time. As many battle
tested BGF were being pulled off the yard, hard core killer members of
other groups were allowed to stay on the yards. As recently as this
year some BGF members who have been in the SHU for 25-30 years
have been stepped down to the mainline. So the state of BGF in the
CDC is somewhat dismal as compared to former generations. The
same cant be said for the BGF in the federal system or in Maryland.
The Maryland branch of the BGF seems to be in the news a lot,
when did they form and why?
The BGF formed in Maryland about 1996. An individual by the name
of Ray Olivas from Maryland did time in the CDC and was reported to
have became BGF. After paroling and going back to Maryland he is

said to have wrote the hierarchy in California for permission to start a

BGF chapter in Baltimore and was granted permission. By this period
in the 90s BGF had experienced a split, in that one faction wanted to
remain true to the militant and political ideology that the founders
established and another faction wanted to remain true to the
gangsterism that the group started to evolve into, so in 1979 there was
a split. Ray Olivas brought both factions to Baltimore. I cant elaborate
any further on this and its aftermath at this time.

What is the Black Book and how

does it pertain to the Maryland BGF?
The Black is a book that was written by Eric Brown. Law enforcement
has dubbed the book to be an attempt to legitimize BGF. The book
was aimed at inmates as well as individuals on the street , with the
intent of them using it as a guide towards improving themselves. It was
given high praise by some pretty esteemed people in Maryland.
Is the BGF spreading onto the streets of Maryland from the
prisons and why do you think this is so?
Yes, the BGF is spreading from the prison system in Maryland to the
street in a pretty rapid manner. The reason this is so is that this is the

natural progression of things when individuals are released from

prison. Now you may well ask why isnt this the case of BGF spreading
heavily to the streets in California? Originally to be a BGF in Cali one
of the requirements was to have a life sentence. However, as some
individuals were eventually released to the streets it was difficult to find
the same level of individuals as in the prison system, so membership
on the streets didnt blossom as it was a quality over quantity thing in
Cali. Now getting back to Baltimore, there are factions of BGF that are
more into gangsterism than any type of political or black militancy so
therefore its a quantity over a quality thing. There are factions of BGF
in Baltimore that are aligned more into the original political and militant
ideology, just like a split occurred in Cali, there has been a split in
Baltimore but cant elaborate further on that at this time.
Describe the split in BGF and what it means?
When looking at BGF one must remember that there are 2 concepts or
one can say 2 branches within the group there is. BEN( black
entrepreneurial network) Cambone. People who identify as BEN are
generally the gangster types and will allegedly be involved in crimes
such as drug dealing etc. Those that identify with Cambone are the
individuals who adhere to the original militant teachings of BGF and
will often be identified by African names . Now at one time the 2
concepts existed together, but over time people began to focus on
BEN and lose sight of Cambone and eventually breaking off into
separate branches. This is a part of the split that I wrote about earlier.
This concept of BEN and Cambone is in Cali as well as Maryland.

There have been moves to unite the 2 but you know how things like
that goes.
What role do I think BGF members played in the recent Baltimore
riot?
This is an interesting question. I saw an article online and it talked
about in Bmore the Bloods, Crips and BGF were forming a truce and it
had a picture alleged members of the 3 groups in a show of solidarity.
Its difficult to say how much of a role they truly had in the riots. Law
enforcement put out bogus reports like they did when those cops were
shot in NY that BGF was calling for cops to be killed. The thing is one
has to remember there is a faction of BGF(BEN) that is criminal and
there only interest is in self profit, so its unlikely that they would really
be overly concerned about rioting unless there were some self serving
purpose. Then there is the other faction of BGF (Cambone) that holds
true to the original militant principles. Now this faction would be more
prone to being involved in the rioting, but to my knowledge there hasnt
been any official organized participation by BGF in the riots. Now
thats not to say that individual members didnt take place in rioting on
there own.
What are your thoughts on the big Baltimore City jail and the
shot caller turning snitch?
My thoughts on the Tavon White and BGF case, well it sheds light on
the extent the power of BGF in the Maryland system goes. To me it
also shows how law enforcement can suppress a group when

they choose to. Its surprising and interesting to see such a high
ranking member plead guilty and talk the way he did about the crimes
he was accused of.
Who are the Maryland BGF legends?
Some of the notable alleged members of BGF include Nathan
Barksdale. He is the same individual depicted in the HBO series The
Wire. He is currently listed by law enforcement as an active member.
He denies this and is of the position that he was BGF while in prison
but no longer. Marlow Bates Sr and Marlow Bates Jr, Bates Jr was the
one in the news a few years ago in one of those major BGF
indictments. Bates Sr is one of the individuals who made up the
character Marlow Stansfield in the HBO series The Wire. Rainbow
Williams is another high profile alleged member.
What do you think their status in federal prison is?
Ive been told that in federal prison BGF is a force to be reckoned with.
I recall a conversation with a guy, who is a recently slain rapper, that
had just been released from the feds. When talking about BGF he told
me, Aint nobody messing with them.

How do they interact withe the

Bloods and Crips and other street gangs?

In California the interaction between BGF and the bloods, crips has
varied of the years. In the early days BGF was initially the shot callers
over these groups on the yards of the CDC. As more and more of the
BGF hardliners were taking off the yards this paradigm shifted and the
relationships became more antagonistic. As the BGF became more in
gangsterism and less about politics they didnt hold the same respect
amongst the black street gangs and became rivals over prison
business. The BGF did influence these groups by leading many
factions of them into a more political and militant way of thinking. For
example the DAMU Bloods, Damu is Swahili for blood, a direct BGF
influence, Crips expressing that crip stands for California
Revolutionary In Progress and direct BGF influence, there are several
other factions of these groups that have adopted the use of Swahili
and developed political literature as direct result of contact with BGF.
Over the years BGF have recruited members of bloods and crips into
their ranks. This recruitment has been up and down because
remember BGF was initially quality over quantity and member of these
gang members were often to undisciplined to be taken into the fold.
In Baltimore the relationship on the street between BGF and
Bloods can be viewed as antagonistic. The reason being is that in Bmore gang banging is about drugs, so the 2 groups are competing
over positions in the drug game. There arent a lot of Crips on the
streets of B-more. In the Maryland prison system BGF is at the top of
the food chain. So here relationship with bloods n crips on the inside
is often times one of co-existing. Of course there have been schisms
at times, there have also been alliances at times, but overall with BGF

being at the top of the heap there arent a lot of problems with one
another.
I have not been able to verify this on paper, but Ive heard on more
than one occasion that in order for a Black to be housed in the SHU
they have to be labeled BGF. I remember watching one of those NBC
Lockup shows and they were interviewing this guy in the SHU and he
was complaining that he was labeled BGF when he was a Crip, so it
could be some truth to that.
How about with the Mexican Mafia or Aryan Brotherhood?
As far as BGFs interaction with the AB and Eme they have had long
bloody antagonistic relationships, this is true in California and
throughout the federal system as well. But as you probably already
know prison politic like regular politics can make for some strange bed
fellows. I say this to say that even though the groups are generally
enemies they have at times collaborated , most recently during the
California hunger strike and the end to all racial hostilities movement.
In this case you had shot callers from all 3 groups working together.
There was also the case in which Doc Holiday testified on behalf of
the AB against the DC Blacks. Let me say this wasnt a move that was
accepted by BGF as a hole, and because of this it is said that Doc isnt
welcomed in certain institutions and may run into some problems
should he ever be sent to them, and there are some real hostile
feelings towards him by some in BGF especially amongst the old
guard.

Who are some of the BGF legends from California?

1.William Doc Holiday his likeness was portrayed in the movie
American Me as the blackguy called Doc who was about to have the
showdown with the character Santana played by James Amos. He
was an earlier bgf hardliner but when the split occurred in bgf he went
the gangster route. A lot of the Baltimore BGF ally themselves with
him and his cadre
2. Khtari Gaulden: He was a BGF leader who wrote the bgf
constitution that is still pretty much used to this day
3. Elrader Browning Sr: Currently in federal prison he along with Doc
Holiday are said to be primarly responsible for spreading BGF to the
federal system
4. Warren Fela Jordon
5. Hugo Yogi Purnell: Now some say he was bgf others will say he
was an associate whatever the statuts he was a hardliner who stayed
true to the original militant teachers and was against the gangsterism
that later crept into the organization. During the area of the split an
attempt was made of his life reportedly on the orders of Fela, a hit
squad of 3 individuals attacked Yogi in his cell all 3 were taken to the
hospital afterwards
6. Shuga Mudd Gram: One of the San Quentin 6 who was commuted
from death row currently residing in Maryland

What movies has the BGF been depicted in?

Movies that have depicted BGF, well there was the movie Blood in
Blood Out: Bound By Honor in this movie the were called the BGA.
There was American Me, and in this move there was a scene
which depicted the character William Doc Holiday who is an alleged
BGF shot caller.

7 things to know about Black

Guerrilla Family gang
By A.R. Shaw | July 20, 2015 7:32 AM EST | 10

Photo credit: Baltimore County jail

The Black Guerrilla Family is one of the most notorious prison gangs
in the nation. BGF made national headlines after it was discovered
that BGF member Tevon White controlled the Baltimore City Detention
Center by impregnating four female guards who helped him smuggle
contraband into the jail.
BGF is currently undergoing a transition as infighting is occurring
between members who are seeking to take control of the gang.
But BGF didnt began as a criminal organization and is over 40 years
old.
Here are seven things you didnt know about BGF.

Black Panther roots

BGF was founded in San Quentin prison in 1966 by George Jackson,
a former member of the Black Panther Party. He was shot to death in
prison in 1971 while holding a gun during an escape attempt. The
gang was actually started as a prison movement that followed the
lessons of Marcus Garvey.
The death of Huey P. Newton

Black Guerrilla Family member, Tyrone Robinson, 24, was convicted

of the murder of Huey P. Newton in Oakland, California, in 1989.

Honored by Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan recorded a song in Jacksons honor in 1972. Tupac
Shakur, Rage Against the Machine, and Digable Planets paid tribute to
Jackson through music. He also wrote two books, Soledad
Brother and Blood in My Eye.

Connection to HBOs The Wire

Marlow Bates Jr., of BGF is serving a 46-month sentence for his role
in an alleged drug-dealing conspiracy. His father is Marlow Bates Sr.,
a drug dealer in the 1980s who served as inspiration for the Marlo
Stanfield character on The Wire.

Black Guerrilla Family Oath:

If I should ever break my stride, and falter at my comrades side,
This oath will kill me.
If ever my world should prove untrue, should I betray this chosen few,
This oath will kill me.
Should I be slow to take a stand, should I show fear to any man,
This oath will kill me.
Should I grow lax in discipline, or in time of strife, refuse my hand,
This oath will kill me.
Long live comrade George Jackson!
Long live the Black Guerrilla Family!

Author or gangster?
Eric Brown, the 42-year-old inmate and author, who was nearing the
end of a lengthy sentence for drug dealing, had teamed up with his
wife, Davenport, to start a nonprofit, Harambee Jamaa, which aims to
promote peace and community betterment. His The Black Book:
Empowering Black Families and Communities was a big seller in the
Baltimore area until the BGF indictments of 2009 shut down his selfpublishing operation.

Authorities believe Browns The Black Book was a ploy by Brown to

make BGF in Maryland appear to be a legitimate organization and not
involved in criminal activity.

BGFs prison control and internal strife

While in prison, BGF boss Eric Brown enjoyed meals of salmon,
shrimp and Grey Goose vodka while incarcerated at the Maryland
Transition Center in Baltimore. Brown is charged in the indictment as
the leader of the Maryland branch of the BGF.
The crew is now dealing with internal strife as 14 murders have been
linked to BGF members who are fighting for control of the
organization.