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BET’s “Gang-Stars”
Published by Tanu Henry on Thursday, October 4, 2007 at 3:24 pm.
As a fan of mob stories and movies, I was eager to check out last night’s episode of BET’s American Gangster to check out the profile of the Philadelphia Black Mafia. Their exploits, which have been largely forgotten, were introduced to a new generation as a cautionary tale of what happens when bad people believe that their actions are righteous and justified.
The group largely comprised of Mosque Temple No. 12 members in Philadelphia in the early to mid 1970s under the motto “Do For Self.” The group took that motto quite seriously as they wanted to keep the Black dollar in the ‘hood. The problem is that meant every black dollar, honest money as well as extortion, prostitution, drugs, etc.
While they used some of the money to build schools and business in Philly, they also assaulted, beat and sometimes murdered people who would not go along with their program. The group, under the cover of the Nation of Islam, committed several high-profile murders including killing seven people (women and a nine-day old baby) on a hit to take down a rival Muslim leader.
For all the flack that BET takes for some of the programming, American Gangster is one of the network’s crowning jewels and the show’s producers deserves serious accolades. – cyrtical1
Does this story glorify the Philadelphia Black Mafia or is this history that should be swept under the rug?
For more information on the American Gangster series, click here.
BET answer this question. With all the positive Afrian American stories from out past and present, why do you find it necessary to gloriify gangsters? Your decisions are a weak representation of the black experience in this country. Your attempt to glorify violence, death, drugs, prostitution, prison, embezzelement and other form of illegial behavior wih these criminals, don’t show our younger generation a positive influence but it glorifies this stereotype to our youth who truly believe in the “thug life”. Your only enhancing their alredy twisted view of reality. I know that you are driven by competition and the almighty $$ but someone (the decision makers) in your organization needs to think: the majoriy of what you program hurts young blacks and continue their path of misintreptation and confusion. Someone needs to think about our youth’s future, not the $$$. Your philosophy is no different than that of a pimp. Let’s grow up and do the right thing for our children’s future.
American Gangster is my sh*t. I love this show!!!!! I believe you have to revisit the past to know about the future, and I think BET should be commended with putting these stories out in a credible and respectful way.
I don’t think BET glories these gangstas they just tell the story there many shows on bet than just this one would you rather have MTV do it and call them racist or see it for what it is and not look so deep into.
I don’t feel it corrupts the young minds of our society because the American Gangstas are either dead or in prison. Everything ain’t peaches and cream, and it shows.
that looks like a died man on crack .
I love the show I hope that it reaches a lot of people that live these types of lives today. They need to learn that it will come to a end one day just like it did for these guys. I also hope they realize that doing this is not sowing good deeds so won’t anything good come out of it. I will continue to watch bet. Good decision!
VIOLENT SHOWS SHOULD BE SWEPT UNDER THE RUG.
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man u need not 2 f*** wit them
I LOVE THIS SHOW VERY INFORMATIVE AND INTERESTING
Hey PE, you need to put that elsewhere!
we ‘re tired of seeing this nonsense story all the time. we do not learn anything from this same old dirty story. what about nice black movies like …something new, will smith movies, denzel washington, taye diggs,etc. no more american gangster plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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