David Barksdale (born Donise David Barksdale; May 24, 1947 – September 2, 1974), also known as King David, was an American gangster and activist from

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. Barksdale was the founder of the

Black Disciples The Black Disciples (often abbreviated as BDN, BDN III, BD's) is a large street gang based in Chicago, Illinois, which received significant news coverage after the murder of one of their own members, an 11-year-old named Robert Sandifer. H ...

. He and

Larry Hoover Larry Hoover (born November 30, 1950)"Larry Hoover"
''Biography.com''. Retrieved 18 April 2019. ...

(leader of the Supreme Gangsters) decided to merge and create the Black Gangster Disciple Nation. He was seen as a hero in the black community because he operated a free breakfast program in englewood to poor children, and he and the Disciples marched with

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

in Marquette Park. He was a close friend of

Fred Hampton Fredrick Allen Hampton Sr. (August 30, 1948 – December 4, 1969) was an American activist. He came to prominence in Chicago as deputy chairman of the national Black Panther Party and chair of the Illinois chapter. As a progressive African Ame ...

. Barksdale died on September 2, 1974, due to kidney failure, at the age of 27.

Biography

Born Donise David Barksdale in Sallis, Mississippi to parents Virginia and Charlie Barksdale, he was the tenth of thirteen children. His family moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1957. Within three years of arriving, Barksdale had become a notorious gang leader. By 1966, Barksdale's gang absorbed several others and became known as the Black Disciple Nation. Tensions grew between the Black Disciples and other gangs such as the Black Stone Rangers. in the late 1960s, King David, as he had become known, started to lead the Black Disciples into activism, serving breakfast to school children and marching with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Marquette park during the

Chicago Freedom Movement The Chicago Freedom Movement, also known as the Chicago open housing movement, was led by Martin Luther King Jr., James Bevel and Al Raby. It was supported by the Chicago-based Coordinating Council of Community Organizations (CCCO) and the Sou ...

. He was a close friend to

and the Chicago Black Panther Party. Barksdale eventually grew sick of the bloodshed and proposed a merger with

Larry Hoover Larry Hoover (born November 30, 1950)"Larry Hoover"
''Biography.com''. Retrieved 18 April 2019. ...

, founder of the Supreme Gangsters, in 1973. Hoover accepted, and the Black Gangster Disciple Nation was born. Over the course of his life Barksdale was arrested 25 times, but never convicted of any serious offense. On several occasions when he was arrested, he used the alias "David Jones".

Death and legacy

On September 2, 1974, Barksdale died from kidney failure as a result of a June 1970 attack in which there was an attempt on his life by members of the Black P Stone Rangers armed with

M14 rifle The M14 rifle, officially the United States Rifle, Caliber 7.62 mm, M14, is an American selective fire battle rifle chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO (.308 in) cartridge. It became the standard-issue rifle for the U.S. military in 1959, r ...

s outside of a bar Barksdale was frequenting with

Larry Hoover Larry Hoover (born November 30, 1950)"Larry Hoover"
''Biography.com''. Retrieved 18 April 2019. ...

on 848 West 69th Street. The assassination attempt ended a truce that was in place at the time. He was buried at

Restvale Cemetery Restvale Cemetery open 1927 is located at 11700 S. Laramie Ave. in Alsip, Illinois, United States, a suburb southwest of the city of Chicago. A number of Chicago blues musicians, educators, and notable people are buried here. Restvale and Burr ...

in Alsip, Illinois. He was survived by his three children: David, Melinda and Ronnie Barksdale (one of whom was gunned down by a member of the Gangster Disciples street gang in 1996), and wife Yvonne Barksdale (née Yarber), until she was murdered three years later in June 1977. Barksdale is still revered by the Black Disciples. Every year there is a birthday celebration in his honor. In 2008, there was a parade that was sponsored and supported by the Black Disciples organization, and in a controversial move, registered by the Chicago City Council for the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend. The parade was criticized by the

Fraternal Order of Police The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) is a fraternal organization consisting of sworn law enforcement officers in the United States. It reports a membership of over 355,000 members organized in 2,100 local chapters (lodges), state lodges, and th ...

, and officers administering the event were forewarned about potential gang violence.Spiel man, Fran. "Police criticize parade honoring gang leader". - Chicago Sun-Times - May 27, 2008.
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barksdale, David 1947 births Gangsters from Chicago People from Attala County, Mississippi American crime bosses African-American gangsters American gangsters Gang members 1974 deaths 20th-century African-American people Burials at Restvale Cemetery