Blood Gang Member Turns Away From Violence To Mentor Kids by Eric Jankiewicz
Thomas Angel Porter spent 8 years in prison for assault and when he was released he decided to help young people stay off the path to prison.
AROCKS- It’s important to me because I have came from their background. I have my own son who’s 13 about to be 14 so I would want to prevent him from doing the things I have done. I spent eight and a half years inside prison so you know that’s the things. A lotta these youth come speak their hearts and they tell us some of these stories, my main thing is to prolly’ reach them with my stories and only just put pressure on them do not do stuff by showing them how to get about living their life right.
[Indecipherable]
AROCKS- Every last one of ya’ll can go up north and be built for up north. The thing about it it’s a whole different story than Riker’s Island. It’s a whole ‘nother story. Know why? ‘Cause it’s like this. This is Riker’s Island, New York City’s Riker’s Island. Up North, this is up north. Meaning this whole building. Meaning, I’m going to see you all day whether it’s lunch time, rec time, whether you’re in your cell. If you want to play in your cell for the rest of your bid, I’m gonna see you. Why? You got crooked people. Crooked CO. They’re going to open up the gate and let the yard out. If dudes really want to get you, you’re gate’s gonna open. All that you know, I’m telling you. You gotta think of ways to not go up north.
[Indecipherable]
AROCKS- You know, like, I wish I could get money, but at the end of the day I’m not looking for money. My wisdom and my words is gonna save one of the youths lives.
Everyone knows Thomas Angel Porter as AROCKS, a name he was given while growing up in Harlem during the 1990s when his crew of friends would constantly yell at him to pass the rock – a reference to a basketball. Within the next year his crew of friends were recruited – along with thousands of black youths across the city – by a gang that had been incubating in New York City’s main jail complex, Riker’s Island, in the early 90s. The Bloods fueled Porters sense of community but it also did the same for his violent actions. By the time he was 21, Porter was charged with assault with a fire weapon and was sent to eight years in prison. When he got out he decided to reconnect with his community by helping kids stay away from the path that had put him behind bars.
Arches, a group youth mentoring program, is a part of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s larger Young Men’s Initiative aimed at Latinos and blacks who are on the precipice of spending their young adult lives in jail. Porter is just one of four mentors in the program and they all make themselves available to their kids any time or day of the week. He is also one of two mentors who still identify with the Blood gang.
“Sometimes I think of quitting,” he said. “ But then I think of the youth and how they would have no leadership if I did that.”
