Authors of Almighty Black P Stone Nation Speak May 18 at Oak Park Public Library

In gangster lore, the Almighty Black P Stone Nation stands out among the most notorious street gangs. Louis Farrakhan hired the Blackstone Rangers as his Angels of Death. Fifteen years before 9/11, the U.S. government accused the Stones of plotting domestic terrorist acts with Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi. And currently, founding member Jeff Fort is serving a triple life sentence at the only U.S. federal supermax prison.

Were the Stones criminals, brainwashed terrorists, victims of their circumstances, or champions of social change? Or were they all of these, their role perceived differently by different races and socioeconomic groups?

Authors Natalie Y. Moore and Lance Williams answer these and other questions in a new book, The Almighty Black P Stone Nation: The Rise, Fall, and Resurgence of an American Gang. This provocative tale explores how teens from a poverty-stricken Chicago neighborhood built a powerful organization that united 21 individual gangs into a virtual nation. Moore and Williams will present a free program based on their book on Wednesday, May 18 at 7 pm at the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake Street. The Book Table will offer books for sale and signing.

Journalist Natalie Y. Moore is an urban affairs reporter for Chicago Public Radio. She has been a reporter for the Detroit News, St. Paul Pioneer Press, and the Associated Press in Jerusalem. Her work has appeared in many publications, including Essence, Bitch, In These Times, Chicago Sun-Times, and Chicago Tribune. She is coauthor of the book Deconstructing Tyrone: A New Look at Black Masculinity in the Hip-Hop Generation.

The son of a former Vice Lord, Lance Williams is an associate professor at Northeastern Illinois University, the assistant director of the Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies, and a youth advocate and activist.

Publishers Weekly notes that Almighty Black P Stone Nation provides "a fascinating account of the notorious Chicago gang dissects not only gang culture but America's convoluted approach to the "war on terror."

Find more free events happening at the Oak Park Public Library at www.oppl.org/events/calendar.htm.