Black Disciples
| Founder | David Barksdale |
|---|---|
| Founding location | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Years active | 1960–present |
| Territory | Nationwide |
| Ethnicity | mostly black[1] |
| Membership | 20,000+ |
| Criminal activities | drug trafficking, robbery, extortion, murder, racketeering, burglary, kidnapping, illegal gambling, theft, arms trafficking, money laundering |
| Allies | Mara Salvatrucha,[2] Folk Nation, Black Guerrilla Family |
| Rivals | People Nation, Gangster Disciples,[1] La Raza, Latin Kings, Four Corner Hustlers |
The Black Disciples (often abbreviated as BDN or BDN III) is a large African American street gang based in Chicago, Illinois.
Background
The gang is considered violent and is known to engage in drug trafficking and distribution, theft, robbery, gun trafficking, murder, embezzlement, money laundering, and racketeering, in addition to other criminal activity.
Intergang Relations
The Black Disciples are part of the alliance of street gangs but are known to engage in violence with other Folk Nation gangs such as the Gangster Disciples. The BDs also have a long-standing rivalry with the Vice Lords, Black Souls & the Almighty Black P. Stone Nation. They have poor relations with other Folk Nation Gangs. The majority of the present conflicts they have with other gangs involve drugs and territory as they are known to be more attracted to the money making aspect of organized crime.