I don’t want to exploit gun violence tragedies with my book
I tried to be respectful with how I reported and wrote about gun violence in “In These Streets”
I’m happy with how “In These Streets” came together, but there was almost a serious obstacle with the primary source I interviewed1. To make a long story short, I heavily feature a violence prevention worker based in Brooklyn throughout the book. When the deadline was creeping up for me to turn in the manuscript, this person ended up having some concerns about his stories being in the book.
We reached a fair compromise, but this process was a stressful period. To be honest, it was his family that had the larger concerns. They didn’t want anything he told me to come back on him in his neighborhood. I respected that. After all, he’s the one who has to be out in the streets. How could I not?
That touches on something in the back of my mind the entire time I reported and worked on “In These Streets.” My goal for this book was to 1) Write the most comprehensive book that’s ever been done about inner-city gun violence. 2) Treat the issue with a high level of respect and sensitivity2.
I know some old-school journalism folks might dismiss that last point because, for them, it’s just about getting the information and putting it out there, no matter what it is. I don’t fully disagree with that, but when it comes to this topic, I have to remember there are humans behind the published words.
Maybe it’s a bit of my bias with having family and friends who have all been directly impacted by the issue that forces me to think this way. I’d be happy to discuss this with any journalists who read this post.
Throughout my reporting, there were so many detailed stories told to me about different gang conflicts in various neighborhoods, details about shooting incidents, robberies, informants, arrests, etc. I left most of it in my notes.
For what I’m trying to do with this specific book, it just didn’t sit right with me to share some of those details. I’m not saying this to come off as holier than thou. I'd tell those stories if I wanted to write a book about a gang war in Brooklyn or Atlanta.
“In These Streets” is about inner-city gun violence, what drives it, and how it can be addressed systemically. It’s not a tell-all about the dynamics of neighborhood gang wars and why this specific gang has beef with another.
Don’t misinterpret this as me watering down the problem. When you read it, you’ll see I don’t hold back. Plus, I’m not saying I did everything perfectly. There might be some folks who have an issue with some of the stories and things I bring up. I welcome any pushback.
My responsibility was to be honest and truthful about gun violence, and I believe I did that. I just didn’t want the book to become a Gangland Chronicles story.
“In These Streets” hits shelves on May 28th, 2024. You can pre-order a copy here.
I’m debating whether or not I want to write a whole post about this.
I wrote about this briefly in an earlier post.