Origin and Birth of the White Gangs
The origin and birth of the White Gangs is believed to have been started during the Civil war. The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was founded in Pulaski, TN, in May 1866 and is an American organization which organization openly displays hatred towards all the non-white races and to all the religions which are non-protestant. The prime purpose of the gang was to uphold and preserve “white supremacy” following the Civil War, fearing the anger and mutiny from the Black population, as the local government in the South was weak.
The Skinheads, who derived their name due to their shaven heads, initiated a movement in the 1980s in England, particularly distinct due to their manner of dressing, which was chiefly influenced by the latest fashion trends in apparels and music, not by racism. Most of the skinhead group members then, came from economic backgrounds while the movement initially began from the MOD (Modernist) movement. Even though they are not racist groups, they are very violent. The movement initially began in England but later the immigrants from Jamaica also became friends with the skinheads working on the docks and were absorbed into their gangs. England had many music clubs during that time, some of which were owned by Jamaicans, where the reggae or soul music was played. Newer forms of music like the “Ska” and “Oi” gradually developed among the skinheads, basically because the whites did not like the subsistence of the blacks in their neighborhoods. The “Oi” form of music had very racial lyrics and this made the skinheads even more violent. Music became the prime means of spreading hatred and violence for the blacks. It was also the reason the popularity of the whit gangs began to spread phenomenally. The skinhead group and music bands began to receive political support form the British National Party, which is a neo-Nazi group, following which the gangs became hate groups. The average age of the skinhead group member is between twelve years to twenty-five years and most of the members are from disturbed families or broken homes, which gives them a sense of security and belonging to the group or gang. With the spread of music, the culture and fame of the white gangs also spread all over the world, and today skinheads are not only found in England but all the parts of the world. The movement which initially began due to clothing and music is now a violent hate group. In the year 1978, a self proclaimed “racist”, Ian Stuart stated a musical band, with the sole purpose of utilizing the power of music to spread the message of racism, far and wide. The music and lyrics of his controversial albums gained him much publicity.
The band churned out the controversial song “White Power” in 1983, which became highly popular and established them as a prime hate group, attracting many new members in to the gang.
Typically, the White Gangs comprise of three basic types of Skin heads. These are, the Neo Nazi Skin Heads and the Independents who are basically racist and the other non-racist skinheads popularly known as the Sharps. The Racist skinheads, as the name indicates, are violent and absolutely racist is their attitude and temperament. They anti Islamic, anti blacks and can get very violent to the extent of sometimes even killing people. Some of the common symbols used by the racist groups include the WP, SWP, SS, Swastikas, Lightning Bolts, Adolph Hitler, Crucifix, Wood, 14 and 88. Although there are no particular colors worn by the members of the gang, the affiliation to a gang is usually shown by the tattoos. The other racist symbols also include the use of Doc’s which is a brand of boots by the name of Dr. Martin’s Boots and Bomber Jackets. The skinheads generally align themselves with other gangs such as the Aryan brotherhood, Peckerwoods, Featherwoods and the Nazi Low Riders.
Hairstyle
In the 1970s, the males of the Skinhead gang would originally wear their hair short and were not completely bald. The current gang members have shaven heads and some even sport sideburns in different styles, which are generally neat and trimmed. The shaven head or the use of razors to shave the heads began with the introduction of the Oi music.
The women gang members would initially sport the Mod-style hair cuts, but now wear feather cuts of fringe cuts on all sides of the head. Some females also have totally punk style cuts with the hair totally shaved like their male counterparts with only few fringes at the forehead.
Jewelry
The Skinheads typically do not wear any jewelry and for this reason stand out in a crowd due to their “Crisp” and “clean” appearances. Belts and buckles are however used by many skinheads, which are not very gaudy. The same attitudes are reflected by the female Skinheads who do not use any kind of jewelry to adorn themselves.
Tattoos
Ever since the 1970s, tattoos have been extremely popular with the Skinheads and may be seen on any part of the face or forehead. They may also have tattoos on different parts of their body such as the stomach, the arms, the feet, or even the lower back. The tattoos may be signs symbols or even depict events. The popular tattoo designs include the number 14 and 88.
The most popular words which the Skinheads say are 14 in number, “we must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children”
The mentality of the Racist Skinheads is based primarily on the Jewish Doctrine of Conspiracy, the Zionist Occupation Government (ZOG), which is a theory according to which the Jews secretly control a country while the acting government is merely a puppet. The Skinheads believe that the white race can be systematically destructed if they do not protect it. On similar terms they also believe that the minorities and all the other races beside the whites are the prime and root cause of all the problems always.
Substance Abuse and Crime
The rate of alcohol and substance abuse is reportedly high among the skinheads. The skinheads are known to consume beer heavily. The crime rate among the Skinheads gangs is thus reported to be very high. The Intelligence Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center ascertains that the hate groups of the Ku Klux Klan, Neo-Nazi and the Skinhead topped the list of crimes.
Globalization of the Gangs
The Racist groups listen to the OI music which is comprised of racist lyrics and is used to communicate the racist messages to others. The music is easily available in the form of videos, CD’s and tapes. The OI is now known as old school music of the style of the 80s and the new music is now known as Hate Cor, Thrash and Death Metal. The skinheads have their own script known as the Rune alphabet, which they use for their writings and their tattoos. The White racist gangs have now become a global phenomenon rather than a regional phenomenon. The rapid globalization has made communication in the world more rapid and fast paced than it used to be.
The Internet
The new technology and the internet have made the world a smaller place. As a result of the rapid and efficient means of communication, the movements of the hatred gangs have not only strengthened but have also gained momentum. The gangs no longer have to be physically present to convey and communicate their messages and ideas. Most of the goals of the hardliners in the hatred groups are now at a point of convergence, with most of them working secretly, underground.
The gangs use the medium of the internet to their benefit as a result of which the gangs have now gained global predominance. The racist gang members are very often recruited into the KKK and even the military and the Militias. There are not many all female gangs and the few that exist are recruited into the NLR.
The Anti-Defamation League affirms that the neo-Nazi skinheads of America have networks and links with several gangs in numerous communities. It has also been proved that they are associated with not one but several groups such as the KKK (Ku Klux Klan), the Aryan Nations, the Church of the Creator and also the Aryan Resistance.
The Non-Racist gangs are primarily rivals of the Racist groups. The prime difference between the racist and the non-racist gangs is that the non-racists do not use racist symbols and do not listen to OI music although both the groups dress themselves in the same manner.
Bibliography
Anti-Defamation League. Skinheads Continue to Pose Threat to Communities in this Country. Press Release, 1997.
Civil Rights Division. Young Nazi Killers: The Rising SkinheadDanger. New York: Anti-Defamation League, 1993.
Hate Crimes Today: An Age-Old Foe in Modern Dress. Position Paper. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 1998.
Southern Poverty Law Center, Intelligence Project. Intelligence Report. Montgomery, Alabama, Spring 1998.
Southern Poverty Law Center, Intelligence Project. Intelligence Report. Montgomery, Alabama, Spring 2001.
Wood, R. T., Youth & Society, Vol 31 Issue 2, p131.
Yamasaki, J. Hate Crimes in the United States: An overview, 1993. Reprinted by permission from No Hate Allowed: A Resource for Congregations for Action Against Racial Hate Groups.