Renegade Dreams: Living Through Injury in Gangland Chicago

In the field note titled “Early Funerals,” Ralph recounts a day spent with Mr. Otis. Unable to use a recorder, Ralph writes down Mr. Otis’s stories about what the man deems the true history of the gang. Mr. Otis’s view of the gang is distinct from popular myths. Mr. Otis expresses his disappointment with current gang leaders, contrasting them unfavorably with past leaders. The following day, Ralph encounters a large protest of mostly teenagers chanting, “WE WANT FUTURES, NOT FUNERALS” (52). The demonstration features rows of empty desks, each with a placard bearing the name of a Chicago student killed by gun violence, alongside their gym shoes.

The narrative moves to the world of the West Side Juvenile Detention Center in Chicago, where Ralph observes the behaviors and conversations of young gang members. He describes the inmates’ habit of avoiding eye contact, instead focusing on the shoes of newcomers to discern their identity and purpose. This fixation on footwear emerges as a significant theme throughout the chapter.

Ralph introduces Benjamin Gregory, a Bible-study instructor who has been visiting the detention center for years. Gregory’s observations about the inmates, particularly their fixation on selling drugs and gym shoes, are critical regarding the youths’ mindset and values.