There Are No Children Here​: Chapter 4
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One July day, Jimmie Lee, the head of the Conservative Vice Lords gang, gets out of his car at Horner and
is welcomed by a large group of enthusiastic teenagers. When Lee sees a drunken man yelling at his 13 year-old
daughter, calling her a “bitch,” Lee punches the man in the jaw, criticizing him for being so disrespectful to his own
daughter. The man falls to the ground and remains in shock, while Lee leaves the scene to join a meeting with
some of his workers.
Jimmie Lee and his gang control Henry Horner and have more authority than any other group, including
the police. Lafeyette and Pharoah have learned to stay inside when Lee arrives at Horner, as the gang is known to
have a variety of assault weapons and to use torture techniques against their enemies. Because Horner residents
know that “snitching” (giving the police any information about gang activity) can easily get them killed, they refuse
to call 911 and even to talk to each other about the shootings that take place.
Surprisingly, while Lee is dangerous because he rules over a variety of crimes, he is also seen as a positive
influence in the neighborhood. Horner residents see him as a respectful, reasonable person who, despite his
involvement in drug trafficking, does not personally use drugs or drink excessively. He is also respected for his
decision to keep overly young adolescents from joining the gangs, lecturing them on the evils of drugs and gangs
and giving dollar bills and new shoes to youngsters in need, and for his twenty-year marriage. Even a local police
officer, Charlie Toussas, considers him a “gentleman.”
At the age of 10, Lafeyette saw someone die before his eyes. In a fight to take control of Henry Horner,
Jimmie Lee’s Vice Lords killed a young member of a rival gang, the Disciples, whom Lafeyette watched bleed to
death in the stairwell of his apartment building.
By 1986, the Vice Lords occupied 2 buildings across from the Riverses’ apartment, taking over apartments
that they used as safe houses for storing drugs, guns, and money. The Vice Lords used symbols, such as baseball
caps turned to the left, to differentiate themselves from other gangs. After the Vice Lords succeeded in defending
their territory against the Disciples, though, they began to attack another gang, the Gangster Stones. The
viciousness and frequency of shootings upset all Horner residents, as everyone soon knew people who had been
killed by gangs.
1. Who is Jimmie Lee?
A. head of a drug gang called the Conservative Vice Lords whose members control Henry Horner
B. A drug addict who terrorizes the children at Henry Horner projects.
C. A rock and roll singer who grew up in the Henry Horner Homes
D. A policeman who really wants to do something for the project children
2. Why will Jimmie Lee not let Horner project boys join his gang and even warns them to stay away from
drugs and gangs?
A. because of his love for children
B. because he only uses boys from other projects
C. because the Horner boys are too undernourished
Eng 21.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Do Now
Sticky Note Annotation Goal
Hang up sticky-note most proud of
Listen to and sticky-note (Focusing on setting?) Ch. 3
Chapter 4- read and answer q’s