Set Trippin’: An Intersectional Examination of Gang Members

Research on gang membership often ignores critical intersections of gender, class, and race. I seek to bridge the gap between the raced and gendered experiences of Black gang members, especially women whose experiences are often overlooked. Utilizing critical race theory, I will examine how gender performances are influenced by gang membership and how members and their associates construct their identities. An intersectional focus on Black women gang membership will broaden our understanding of gang literature where Black men are often overrepresented. This research will produce participant-led data that unearth gang members’ firsthand experiences and will produce important contributions. Findings suggest that gang members experience significant Black adolescent trauma; membership for Black women is familial, and as adults, they often use their gang identities to challenge gang culture; and there is a duality between “gang members” and “gang bangers.” I argue that this research debunks the narrative that gang members display inherent criminal behavior. Instead, I provide a counternarrative that humanizes gang members and adds validity to the structural causes of gang membership in these communities.