Outside reading

Sudhir meets JTs mother. His mother is very sweet and even though Sudhir knows that she has trouble even buying food she always has a nice meal for him and refuses any pay. Sudhir also convinces JT that he is ready to walk to his house by himself and no longer needs an escort. Sudhir also learns that the gang and the Robert Taylor homes are a community and they look out for each other. There are children that don't have parents and they will take them into their homes and take care of them to avoid them going to an orphanage. Sudhir also walks with JT through his apartments that he is in charge of. JT does this once a week or so to make sure that everyone is in line and that there are not people acting out of hand. If they had people out of hand then the police would come and that would not be good. 

Outside reading

JT moves back to Robert Taylor housing. It is his goal to make enough money to buy his mother and girlfriends houses. Sudhur's walk to go hang out with JT was replaced with a bus ride. JT offered him to get him a driver, but Sudhir refuses. Instead JT has one of his teen gang members meet Sudhir at the bus stop because he said it was unsafe for him to walk there by himself. Sudhir learns that JT had gone to college, but didn't like it. He also learns that a gang is not a bunch of guns and shooting, but is set up much like a business. The only people that really fight are the teens. There is poeple like JT behind everything and there is bosses and bosses of bosses. Sudhir also learns that often times they "fight" with out even fighting often they may play a basketball game or something like that. After a victory they have a party and often times other gang leaders stop by to say good job. 

Outside reading

After Sudhir's long night in the projects he cant stop wondering about JT so he goes back. He feels a special bond with JT and they start hanging out more and more. JT said in order to get to know the people and know what its like to be young black and poor he must hang out with them. After JT begins to trust him more and more he takes him on a trip to the Robert Taylor projects, where JT used to live. Sudhir learns that this is where JT used to live and where his mother and girlfriends live aswell. JT is moving back to Robert Taylor due to where he lives now being taken down as well as the fact that JT was only sent there to try to get the gang over there back on track. JT has a meeting to try to get back where he left off. 

Outside reading

In my book that i am reading Gang leader for a day, the main character Sudhir Venkatesh, is a college sociology student. He is asked by one of his professors to help out in a study about poor black young adults living in the projects. He gets many surveys and sets off to the projects after entering a building that is gross he finds a group of young black men he tells them why he is there and they don't believe him they think he is from another gang there to spy on them. After spending the night there in a stair well being watched with no sleep he makes a new friend. His new friends name is JT and he happens to be on the higher end of the black nights a gang around there. After he gets home he cant even think about sleeping after all that has just happened. Sudhir is in for allot. 

Gang leader for a day

The book i am reading is Gang Leader for a Day by Sudhir Venkatesh. I found this book from a family friend who said i really should read it. I am reading it because i am going to Chicago with my church this summer in the projects. This is where my book takes place. I also chose to read it because its a true story about a real student and how he had an unexpected schooling experience. These are a few reasons why i chose to read the book Gang leader for a day.