When April Roby-Bell was in middle school, she joined a street gang called the Gangster Disciples, and the members of the gang treated her like family, even though she felt abandoned by her own. She was seeking love, acceptance, and a stable environment in her life.
“When we were younger, they instructed us.” “If you want to own your neighbourhood and your street, you have to tell people, “This is my domain.” Roby-Bell advised.
She was exposed to harrowing realities about life and death at a tender age as a result of the encounter. At the very least, half of the people she spent her childhood with are no longer with us. She explained, “There were times when it became difficult because you just got tired of fighting.” “There’s a good chance that I should already be dead by this point.”
Roby-Bell, who is now 42 years old, is no longer tasked with protecting a gang’s turf. Instead, she is advocating for the families in the southern Illinois neighbourhoods of East St. Louis and surrounding Washington Park who want their children to be able to play outside without worrying for their lives. These families live in East St. Louis and neighbouring Washington Park. Roby-Bell, who managed to escape the violent ordeal she was exposed to, now serves as an inspiration to those around her. People who have been scarred by gun violence seek counselling from her. She has made arrangements for the victims’ funerals. And for a number of years, she has presided over the graves of people who were neither friends nor acquaintances. She makes sure to have her phone next to her when she sleeps so that she doesn’t miss any calls for assistance.
Larita Rice-Barnes, 47, who is located nearby, also keeps a phone with her, and she uses it to act as a lifeline for mourning families. And Terra Jenkins, 50, receives similar calls. She routinely checks her phone multiple times during the day and responds to texts and calls from neighbourhood residents and funeral establishments in the area.
All three of them were members of different gangs when they were younger and ran around East St. Louis and the towns that surround it. Robyn Bell is now employed as a high school student mentor for a school system.Rice-Barnes is a published novelist who spends countless hours volunteering and directing two nonprofit organizations. Jenkins is an outreach leader for a local clinic. Both of them spend a lot of time helping others.
However, reminders of their history can be found in the form of battle scars and faded tattoos. Because of their experiences on the front lines, some people place more trust in them than in the authorities.In a community that is struggling against economic injustice, homelessness, health inequities, and gun violence, the women fill in the gaps.
Jenkins stated that if you live in East St. Louis, you are “in it with death.” “The position that I’m in means that, nine times out of ten, I’m just going to be connected with a whole bunch of deaths since I’m at the morgue,” said the man.
Jenkins, also known as “T-baby Ooh-Wee,” claims that she fell into the field of assisting other people by accident. In the late 1980s, as a youngster, she joined the Gangster Disciples, generally referred to as “GD.” As time went on, she became a leader in the organization, a queen who called the shots.
She opened a barbershop in the basement of her grandmother’s home in the neighbouring Washington Park neighborhood. Her salon evolved into a safe haven for her customers, who felt comfortable opening up to Jenkins about their personal struggles while she cut their hair.
Jenkins stated that “much like the ladies at the beauty shop, the boys want to converse.” They were unable to communicate with their homeboys, so when they sat in my chair, they began communicating with T-Baby instead. They started discussing the issues that they were having. I’m referring to the major criminals here; they’re in tears. They are essentially baring their souls to me at this point.
As time went on, she became a reliable friend and activist in the city, someone many others could turn to for assistance when they were in a bind. According to her, even though she is still labelled an “OG,” which stands for original gangster, the gang life that she was familiar with shifted at some point in the past. Rival gangs began to communicate less and fire more frequently.
Jenkins commented that it seemed as though the children had no use for their hands. “And during their entire lives, they have never been involved in a fistfight.”
She went on to say that instead, they use firearms. Then you question them, “What are you all so angry about?” They are battling about something that neither of them is really sure why they are doing. It couldn’t possibly be money because, despite all the recent killings in this area, nobody has been robbed in recent times. She stated that several of these children still had their money and jewellery on them. “A lot of these youngsters still had the money in their pockets,” she claimed. “It’s, like, over Facebook.”
Jenkins blames herself and her age. She claimed that we messed up and “dropped the ball.” At this point, she is attempting to put the parts back together.
Jenkins stated that every situation is unique, but the majority of bereaved families want emotional support, financial assistance for the funeral, and assistance in arranging for practical matters such as getting their deceased loved one a haircut or finding a location for a memorial service. Jenkins claimed that she is an introvert but that she becomes outgoing when she is made aware of a requirement in society. She is collecting items such as clothing, food, and other fundamental necessities. She stays with the families for some time after the funeral is complete, when everyone has gone home and the families are left to deal with their loss on their own.
2009 was the year that marked a turning point in Roby’s life. Bell’s: At that time, her cousin Keyatia Gibson was shot and killed in front of a business selling alcoholic beverages in the city.
Roby-Bell added that it took some time for them to come and cover her up. “It took a while,” she said. She went on to say that her cousin’s two young children were standing over her body at the time. “And they were able to see that. “And I was there to witness it.”
Roby-Bell, who was already a mother of three, made the decision to alter the course of her life. She began attending a church regularly and redirected her attention to assisting those who were less fortunate. Roby-Bell created the Restoration Outreach Center, a church in Washington Park, two years ago. There, she frequently tells people about her life and experiences.
As a participant in gang activity, Roby-Bell responded with, “I worked hard. But I made it through the most difficult time in my life.” And I didn’t simply survive for me. I made it through because of my three beautiful girls.
When she is at her church, you can frequently find her praying for the youth in her congregation. Prayer is always offered up for them by our community. According to Roby-Bell, “We pray for their safety as well as for their life span.” Since I am employed in education, I make it a point to regularly pray for the students and their future.
However, they cannot always find solace in their religious practices. Rice-Barnes shared that when she meets with a family who is grieving the loss of a kid who was caught in the crossfire, she is mindful of the words she selects. She does not reveal to the bereaved parents that their child has been reincarnated as an angel. She does not employ that kind of hyperbole in her playbook.
Rice-Barnes is quoted as having observed, “People need the ministry of presence.” In the vast majority of instances, they do not require anything further from you. They merely require confirmation that you are present.
In the earlier part of this year, Rice-Barnes extended her support to the family of Joseph Michael Lowe, III, who was just three years old when he was killed by gunfire while riding in a car with his older brother. But as she is attending to the suffering of each family, she must also attend to the suffering of her own history.
Rice-Barnes had acquaintances who were members of the Gangster Disciples when she was a teenager; nevertheless, she spent the majority of her time hanging out with a competing gang known as the Vice Lords. She suffered the loss of two close friends to gun violence in addition to having her own brushes with death. When a man put a gun to her head, she immediately felt like her life was in danger. And then, a few years later, she found herself lying face down in the middle of a field after being shot at by someone in a car that was parked nearby.
Rice-Barnes stated, “While I was in the middle of running, I dropped.” “I was completely at a loss for what to do. “I couldn’t tell if someone was standing behind me or on top of me.”
She left that day, but she takes the memories with her as she works to assist individuals who have suffered a loss. Rice-Barnes stated that she was still coping with the devastation caused by what had taken place. “In more recent years, I find myself telling those stories, but they were just stuffed down and repressed,” she said. “In recent years, I have found myself telling those stories.”
Rallies are held by Rice-Barnes in East St. Louis to honour those who have died as a result of gun violence, those who have survived it, and the families of those affected. Residents are brought together by her non-profit Metro East Organizing Coalition in order to have dialogues about potential solutions. Rice-Barnes spoke at an event in June, which was attended by dozens of people, and reminded municipal authorities of the necessity of implementing new policies and initiatives that have the potential to save lives.
She feels that her efforts have contributed to a decrease in crime over the past 18 months since the foundation that Rice-Barnes runs collaborates with other organizations that work to reduce crime to evaluate statistics. Despite this, she is aware that the city has a significant distance to travel. Rice-Barnes, along with Jenkins and Roby-Bell, does not consider the possibility of abandoning this city to be a viable choice. The three friends are optimistic that things will improve in their hometown, so they are concentrating on the years to come.
Roby-Bell was quoted as saying, “It doesn’t matter how you start, but it matters how you finish.” [Citation needed]
KHN (Kaiser Health News), a nationwide newsroom that publishes in-depth journalism about health topics and is a major operating programme of KFF, is the organization responsible for producing this article (Kaiser Family Foundation). It was republished after receiving permission to do so.