The Crips were founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1969 mainly by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams. What most people don’t now is that the Bloods and Crips were sub divisions of the Black Panther Party and Crip stands for Community Resistance In Progress; when the police would come and harass members of their communities the resistance would step in to protect the victim.
The rivalry that is still being perpetuated today is a product of the crack boom in the 80s. Neither the Bloods nor the Crips had the resources to bring crack into their communities but some how it got there… younger members of the organization took advantage of the profitable drug because black males weren’t favorable candidates for jobs (still aren’t). The war on drugs began as a result of the effects of crack on individuals.
The gangs war amongst each other as a means for individualized survival now since they lack the leadership that once was provided by the Black Panther Party. The Panthers use to educate the youth about their history so that they could have a solid understanding of who they are and what it means to be a black in America.
Micheal Jackson knew the Blood and Crips’ true history and was inspired to release the song They Don’t Really Care About Us.