Of course, the primary concerns of the school district relate to teacher salaries, student grades and a top-heavy administration, but I want to share my "perspeKtive" as a Black woman, who is acutely in tune to the Black experience our students are having in the LAUSD system.

I've been to L. A. High, where there were one or two Black children in a class among mostly Latinos and a handful of Asians. I've been to the high-tech, L. A. Academy Middle School, where there were 3-4 Black children in a class with a majority of Latinos who were motivated to learn and well behaved. I've been to Audobon Middle School where there is a majority of Black students and a handful of Latinos, all of whom are submerged in the gang culture and are forced to wear a uniform of gray pants and a white shirt. If they wear RED or even ALL AMERICAN BLUE JEANS they are out of uniform and risk being sent to the office for discipline.

The rationale for this "dress code" is very disturbing and little known by the public and the students themselves.

I asked several students who were sent to the office for being "out of uniform" if they knew why they are not supposed to wear RED or BLUE? Some said "because we are out of uniform" and "the colors are gang colors." When I responded, "Yes, but why don't we want you to wear gang colors?" They said, "I don't know." Some added, "but some gangs wear gray and orange and even purple! They don't say anything about that!"

I could see the angst, confusion and frustration on these students faces as they were getting ready to face disciplinary action, such as, detention or being sent home to change, for something they just don't understand.

Their lack of understanding is for good reason. IT SHOULDN'T BE UNDERSTOOD. IT'S INSANE! That our children cannot wear two of the three primary colors because two primary gangs have claimed these colors as their identity IS PITIFUL AND INANE.

As I tried to explain to these kids---who are bewildered as to WHY they are in trouble and WHY they were sent out of class and have to listen to this lady tell them WHY they can't wear red or blue---

..."because it's the dress code and the uniform is for your protection against being identified as gang members. It's so you won't be beat up, harrassed or killed for wearing the "wrong" color because you are NOT gang members"...

I could not believe that I was trying to sell this nonsense to these kids as if it makes sense. That was definitley one of those "do as I say, not as I do" moments (that we all hated as kids and don't tolerate as adults) as I boldly wore my red trenchcoat to school because it rained that day.

It's painful knowing that our society and our schools have accepted this crap! It also unfair that our children have to be burdened with being concerned about the COLOR of their clothes when THEY ARE TRYING TO LEARN!

This is NOT our children's problem. It is OUR problem. It is YOUR problem if you have kids in school.

We need to do something about the idiocy of this color conflict in the Black neighborhoods of L. A. and in the few LAUSD schools that primarily serve our Black children.

Our children are distracted from their studies, their grades are suffering and their future is at risk because of this ridiculous pre-occupation and deference to gangs.

I realize the gang issue is generations deep. Grandmamas, Grandaddies, mamas, daddies, sisters, brothers, cousins, uncles, aunts, baby mamas, baby daddies....could all be Crips or Bloods in a family. You have BOTH in some families. Oh, yes, it's deep, but something must be done TO SAVE OUR CHILDREN.

The following is a list of gangs. Some of the numbers are streets, some are counting the gangs. It may not look like a sensical list because I chose to leave it a confusing blob to illustrate the ridiculous conglomeration we call "L. A. gangs."

Please feel free to visit the site that gives a history on the subject: http://www.streetgangs.com/history/history.html

Today there are approximately 274 Blood and Crip gangs in Los Angeles County. Around the nation they can also be found in over 100 American Cities. Some gang members have migrated to these cities from Los Angeles, and also youths from other cities have emulated Los Angeles gang culture. There is an estimated 150,000 gang members in Los Angeles County as of 1998. Additionly gang homicides are at an all time low with just 399 in 1998, compared to the 805 in 1995.

Blood Gangs in the City of Los Angeles

1. *Be-Bopp Watts Bishops
2. *Black P Stones-City
3. *Black P Stones-Jungles
4. *Blood Stone Pirus, 30's
5. *Blood Stone Villains
6. *Bounty Hunters (Lot Boys)
7. *Bounty Hunters, Bell Haven
8. *Bounty Hunters, Block Boy
9. *Circle City Piru
10. *Dalton Gangster Bloods
11. *Denver Lane Bloods
12. *East Side Pain
13. *Family Swan Bloods, 89, 92
14. *Fruit Town Brims
15. *Hacienda Village Bloods
16. *Harvard Park Brims, 62
17. *Mad Swan Bloods
18. *Miller Gangster Bloods
19. *Neighbor Hood Rollin 20s
20. *Outlaw 20s
21. *Pacoima Pirus
22. *Pueblo Bloods, 52
23. *Queen Street Bloods, 76 Block
24. *Rollin 50s Bloods
25. *Van Ness Gangsters, R. 50s
26. Water Front Pirus

Crip Gangs in Los Angeles County

1. 101 Crip Gang
2. Gangster Crips,
3. Nutty Block Compton Crips
4. 7th Street Watts Crips
5. Gangster Crips, 48
6. Original Block Crip Gang
7. Acacia Block
8. Compton Crips
9. Gangster Crips, 83
10. Original Front
11. Hood Compton Crip
12. Original Hood Crips
13. Addicted to Crime Gangster Crips,
87
14. Altadena Block Crips
15. Gangster Crips, 98
16. Palm & Oak Gangsters
17. Angelo Mafia Crips
18. Gangster Crips,
19. Hoover 52
20. Palmer Block Crips
21. Anzac Grape Compton Crips
22. Ganster Crips, 118
23. Park Village Crips 700 Block
24. Atlantic Drive Compton Crips
25. Gardena Pay Back Crips 129/134
26. Pasadena Raymond Ave Crips
27. Avalon 40's Crips
28. Geer Gang Crips
29. Perverts BK
30. Avalon Gangster Crips 53
31. Ghost Town Crips
32. Pimp Town Murder Squad
33. Avalon Ganster Crips 116
34. Grape Street Watts, 103
35. PJ Watts Crips
36. Avalon Garden Crips 88
37. Grave Yard Crips
38. Play Boy Gangster Crips
39. Back Street Crips
40. Gundry Blocc Paramount Crips
41. Play Boy Hustler Crips, 68,69
42. Beach Town Mafia Crips
43. Harbor City Crips
44. Play Boy Hustler Crips, 75
45. Big Daddyz (BDZ)
46. Hard Time Hustler Crips, 88, 93
47. Play Boy Style Crip, 93, 95
48. Blunt Smoking Only Gang
49. Hard Time Hustler Crips, 103, 104
50. Play Boy Style Crips, 101,
51. BOGC
52. Hard Time Hustler Crips, 78
53. Play Boy Style Crips, 106
54. Born To Jacc Crips 73rd st
55. Harvard Gangster Crips, 127
56. Play Boy Style Crips, 82,
57. Boulevard Mafia Crips
58. Hat Gang Watts Crips, 92nd St
59. Pocket Hood Compton Crips
60. Brick Block Crips
61. Hickery Street Watts Crip
62. Raymond Ave Crips, 102
63. Broadway Gangster Crips 112
64. Holmes Town Crips, 97
65. Raymond Ave Crips, 120
66. Broadway Gangster Crips 52
67. Home Boys Crimino Gang RHG
68. BudLong Crip Gang, 102
69. Hoover Crip Gang, 107
70. Rollin 20s Crips
71. Burnside Avenue Crip Gang
72. Hoover Crip Gang, 112
73. Rollin 30s Original Harlem Crips
74. By Yourself Hustler Crips
75. Hoover Crip Gang, 59
76. Rollin 40s NHC Ave's
77. Carver Park Compton Crips
78. Hoover Crip Gang, 74
79. Rollin 40s NHC Darkside
80. Chest Street Compton Crips
81. Hoover Crip Gang, 83
82. Rollin 40's Parkside
83. Compton Avenue Crips, 95
84. Hoover Crip Gang, 92
85. Rollin 40s Westside
86. DAWGS
87. Hoover Crip Gang, 94
88. Rollin 60s Neighbor Hood Crip
89. Dirty Old Man Gang HSHG
90. Rollin 80s West Coast Crip
91. Dodge City Crips
92. Inglewood Village Crips
93. Rollin 80's West Coast Crip
94. Don’t Give a Fuck Insane Crips, 21
95. Rollin 90s Neighbor Hood Crip
96. Down Ass Pimp Gang, 109
97. Kelly Park Compton Crips
98. Rollin 90s Westcoast
99. Dragnet Kitchen Crip Gang, 87
100. Rough Neck Tribe
101. DSHC 91st
102. Kitchen Crips, 116
103. Santana Block Compton Crips
104. Du Rock Crips
105. Kitchen Crips, 95
106. School Yard Crips
107. Ducky Hood Compton Crips
108. Latana Blocc Compton Crips
109. Sex Symbols
110. East Coast Block Crips, 190
111. LDH 73
112. Shot Gun Crips
113. East Coast Block Crips, Q102
114. Legend Crips, 102
115. Sin Town Crips
116. East Coast Crip, 76
117. Lettin Niggas Have It
118. South Side Compton Crips
119. East Coast Crip, 89 NHC
120. Mack Mafia Crips
121. South Side Village Crips
122. East Coast Crips, 118
123. Mafia Crips, 99
124. Spook Town Compton Crips
125. East Coast Crips, 200
126. Main Street Crips
127. SSXCG
128. East Coast Crips, 59
129. Main Street Mafia Crips, 98
130. Stevenson Village Crip (Cold Village Dog)
131. East Coast Crips, 62 NHC
132. Mansfield Gangster Crips
133. Straight Ballers Society
134. East Coast Crips, 66,
135. Marvin Gangsters
136. Ten Line Ganster Crips
137. East Coast Crips, 68
138. Mayo Ave Compton Crips
139. Tonga Crip Gang, 104
140. East Coast Crips, 69
141. Shack Boys
142. Menlo Gangster Crips, 103
143. Tonga Crip Gang, 2nd
144. East Coast Crips, 97
145. Menlo Gangster Crips, 65
146. Too Many Hoes Gangs
147. East Coast Crips
148. Sons of Samoa
149. Mona Park Crips
150. Tragnew Park Compton Crips
151. East Side DAWGS
152. Most Valuable Pimp Gangster Crip
153. Twilight Zone Compton Crips
154. East Side Hustler Crips 104, 108
155. NBGC
156. Twilight Zone Crips 110
157. East Side Hustler Crips 115,118
158. Neighbor Hood 90 Crips
159. Under Ground Crips,103, 105, 107
160. East Side Players, 97
161. Neighbor Hood Compton Crips
162. Venice Shore Line
163. East Side Ridas, 64
164. Neighbor Hood Crips, 106, 102
165. Victoria Park Crips
166. East Side Ridaz, 59
167. Neighbor Hood Crips, 111, 112
168. Ward Lane Compton Crips
169. Farm Dog Comton Crips
170. Neighbor Hood Crips, 111, 112
171. Water Gate Crips
172. Four Corner Block Crips
173. Neighbor Hood Crips, 115
174. Watts Mafia Crip Gang
175. Four Duece Crip Gang (westside)
176. Neighbor Hood Crips, 46
177. Watts Playground Crips, 115
178. Four Line Drive Crips
179. Neighbor Hood Crips, 55
180. We Dont Care Crips, 43
181. Front Street Crips
182. Neighbor Hood Crips, 57
183. West Boulevard Crip 28
184. Fudge Town Mafia Crips 105, 107
185. Neighbor Hood Crips, 59
186. West Boulevard Crips 64
187. Gangster Crip, 96
188. Neighbor Hood Crips, 67
189. West Covina Neighbor Hood Crips
190. Gangster Crips, 105
191. Neighborhood Watts Crips, 109, 110
192. West Side Mafia
193. Gangster Crips, 42(eastside)
194. Nestor Ave Compton Crips
195. Young Ass Playas
196. Gangster Crips, 43
197. Nothing But Trouble Halldale Crip, 51
198. Gangster Crips, 43 SS
199. NSG Senyo Gangs
200. Original Swamp Compton Crips