Alfred Lomas, a former member of the Florencia 13 gang in Los Angeles, has organized a tour of L.A’s notorius gang turf.
Passengers (sitting’ ducks?) pay $65 a head and sign waivers acknowledgin’ they could be crime vics and put their fate in the hands of tattooed ex-gang members (who say they have negotiated a cease-fire amongst rivals in The Most Violent Gangland in America.)
This is supposed to give a glimpse into gang life while also tryin’ to convince people that gang-plagued communities are not as hopeless as movies depict.
Most Gangstas are depicted as heartless, drug-sellin’, killin’ machines. But some of these people are in situations that just ‘came about’. Some of these people have dreams; they want to be something other than a social outlaw. Some them have amazin’ talents, bogged down and out-shined by life at hand…
On an abbreviated advance tour Lomas provided for the news media, his unmarked chartered coach wound its way through downtown, the Central Jail (home to many a thug and thugette), past Skid Row’s squalor and masses of homeless and drug addicted, and in to South Central,(renamed South Los Angeles in 2003 by the city, in an attempt to change its deep association with ‘urban strife’), the breeding ground for some of L.A’s deadliest gangs. They also visit the notorious Florence-Firestone neighborhood, close to the birthplace of the Crips and current home to Florencia 13, a Latino gang that was accused by federal prosecutors of racist attacks against black residents.
Lomas, 45 years old and just left gang life 5 years ago, is now a respected activist workin’ with faith-based L.A. Dream Center. His non-profit company, LA GANG TOURS, is also workin’ to bring jobs to communities along the tour, and to re-invest money thru micro-loans and scholarships. He also wants to start a gallery and ‘gang museum’. He’s not sure how all this will come about, but he has a dream.
He says the tour will create 10 part-time jobs, mainly for ex-gang members working as guides, and talkin’ about their own struggles and efforts to reduce violence.
The tour is initially scheduled to run once a month. The first was just this Saturday (Jan. 16th), and went off without any issues…
Go here for more info on the organization…
