(via Rubble Kings)
In the early 1970s, a South Bronx gang that went by the name the Reapers made the pages of LIFE magazine. At the time, they—along with other gangs—were said to be "larger and more dangerous than before," with more drugs starting to circulate the streets. Though one NYPD officer went on to explain their dichotomy: "Gangs like the Reapers are good and bad. One night they’ll spend two hours helping us look for a rapist, the next they’re out to beat up some civilians.” Years later, peace was brokered amongst the gangs, and now there's a documentary coming out that focuses not only on the bad, but the good.
Rubble Kings "chronicles life during the era of gang rule in New York City between 1968 and 1975, and tells the story of how a few extraordinary, forgotten people did the impossible—brokering peace between rival street gangs—and how their actions and efforts impacted New York City and the world over.
"Beyond the idealistic hopes of the civil rights movement of the 1960s lay an unfocused rage. Neither law enforcement nor social agency could end the escalating bloodshed in 1970s New York. Peace came only through the most unlikely and courageous of events that would change the world for generations to come, and ultimately give birth to hip-hop culture."
The film will be available for purchase online, but there will also be screenings in theaters—more details here.
