Editing Gangster Disciples (section)

{{Short description|American Street Gang}}
{{Redirect|Growth & Development|the album by 22Gz|22Gz#Musical career}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox criminal organization
| name = Gangster Disciples
| image = Gangster Disciples Logo.svg{{!}}class=skin-invert
| image_size = 
| caption = 
| founded = {{start date and age|1966}}
| founder = [[Larry Hoover]]
| named_after = Supreme Gangsters, Devils Disciples, Black Gangster Disciples
| founding_location = [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], U.S.
| years_active = 1966–present
| territory = Chicago, Illinois, New York City, Richmond, Virginia, Norfolk, Virginia, Charlotte, North Carolina, Raleigh, North Carolina, Jackson, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin  [[Northeastern United States|Northeastern]], [[Midwestern United States|Midwestern]], Denmark, France, United Kingdom, Mexico, Germany, Sweden<ref name="Cartels and Gangs in Chicago">
[https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2018-07/DIR-013-17%20Cartel%20and%20Gangs%20in%20Chicago%20-%20Unclassified.pdf Cartels and Gangs in Chicago] [[dea.gov]] (May 2017)</ref><ref>[https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/11-members-and-associates-folk-nation-gangster-disciples-charged-multiple-shootings-and] [[justice.gov]]</ref>
| ethnicity = Primarily [[African American]], [[Latino (demonym)|Latino]], and [[White Americans|White]]<ref name="The Gangster Disciples">[https://www.justice.gov/entity-popup/file/432581 The Gangster Disciples] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120145657/https://www.justice.gov/entity-popup/file/432581 |date=January 20, 2022 }} [[justice.gov]]</ref>
| membership_est = 30,000 members in Chicago and spreading into at least 35 other States with several thousand more members. Membership count overseas is still unknown.<ref>https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/gangster-disciples-gang-profile</ref>
| leaders = Larry Hoover {{small|(formerly)}}
| activities = Drug trafficking, assault, firearms violations, fraud, homicide, money laundering, organized crime<ref name="NGTA">{{cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs32/32146/appb.htm |title=National Gang Threat Assessment 2009 |date=January 2009 |publisher=National Gang Intelligence Center |access-date=November 12, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111214194554/http://www.justice.gov/ndic/pubs32/32146/appb.htm |archive-date=December 14, 2011 }}</ref>
| allies = <!-- Any and all additions to this section require a reliable source. --> [[Sureños 13]]<ref name="Here's what we know about the Gangster Disciple governor who was sentenced to 10 years in prison">[https://covingtonleader.com/news/courts/gangster-disciple-gov-rob-jones-sentenced-to-10-more-years-in-prison-heres-what-we-know-about-him/ Here's what we know about the Gangster Disciple governor who was sentenced to 10 years in prison] Echo Day, ''The Leader'' (December 12, 2019)</ref> <br />[[Folk Nation]]<ref name="Cartels and Gangs in Chicago" /> <br />[[Simon City Royals]]<ref>[https://www.wlbt.com/2019/11/04/community-help-movement-ripped-straight-gang-literature/ Community help movement ripped straight from gang literature] Therese Apel, [[WLBT]] (November 3, 2019)</ref>
| rivals = <!-- Any and all additions to this section require a reliable source. --> [[Almighty Black P. Stone Nation|Black P. Stones]]<ref name="Cartels and Gangs in Chicago" /> <br />[[Black Disciples]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eligon |first=John |date=2016-12-22 |title=Bored, Broke and Armed: Clues to Chicago’s Gang Violence |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/22/us/chicago-gang-violence.html |access-date=2024-09-19 |website=[[The New York Times]] |issn=1553-8095 |oclc=1645522}}</ref> <br />[[Bloods]]<ref name="Here's what we know about the Gangster Disciple governor who was sentenced to 10 years in prison" /><ref>[https://patch.com/minnesota/richfield/follow-up-man-charged-in-cold-case-murder/ Follow Up: Man Charged in Cold Case Murder] Caitlin Burgess, ''Patch'' (July 20, 2012)</ref> <br />[[Latin Kings (gang)|Latin Kings]]<ref name="Cartels and Gangs in Chicago" /> <br />[[People Nation]]<ref name="Cartels and Gangs in Chicago" /> <br />[[Almighty Vice Lord Nation|Vice Lords]]<ref name="Cartels and Gangs in Chicago" /> <br />[[Mickey Cobras]]<ref>[https://www.ngcrc.com/bdprofile.html#:~:text=While%20the%20GDs%20are%20structured,to%20%22King%20David%20Barksdale%22.&text=When%20King%20David%20died%20in,Black%20Gangster%20Disciples%20(BGDs)./ GANG THREAT ANALYSIS: The Black Disciples] George Knox, (2004)</ref>
| notable_members = <!-- reliable sources are required. In this case, 'Notable' means that a Wikipedia article already exists or is likely to be created in the future -->[[Lil JoJo]]<br>[[Famous Dex]]<br>[[FBG Duck]]<br>[[22Gz]]<br>[[SahBabii]]<br>[[Ugly God]]
}}

The '''Gangster Disciple Nation''' (often abbreviated as the '''GD'''<nowiki/>'s; formally, '''GDN'''), also known as '''Growth & Development''', is an [[African American]] [[street gang|street]] and [[prison gang]] founded by former rivals [[David Barksdale]] and [[Larry Hoover]]; in 1968, the two came together to form the '''Black Gangster Disciple Nation''' ('''BGDN''').

Post-1989, following growing tension between the two over declining leadership, the BGDN split into two new factions—Hoover's Gangster Disciple Nation (GDN) and Barksdale's [[Black Disciples|Black Disciple Nation]] (BDN), respectively. As of 2022, following Hoover's departure, the GDN has no full-time leadership role.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 8, 2022 |title=Notorious Chicago gang leader, Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover requests early release again |url=https://abc7chicago.com/gangster-disciples-larry-hoover-chicago-gang-leader-founder/12029360/ |access-date=January 18, 2023 |website=ABC7 Chicago |language=en}}</ref>