Outskirts Press, INC.

LIFE OF A GANG BANGER...

ULTIMATELY A STORY OF REDEMPTION...

Original Diamond Boy: the Psychology of a Gang Banger by YoYo (aka

Le’Taxione) is powerful, deeply troubling, and, ultimately, a story of

redemption. When Le’Taxione, at age ten, picked up a .22 revolver that

had been dropped during a drug-related shooting, he longed to use the

pistol. Finally, in a “dimly lit parking lot” he found his opportunity

and shot a man. Instead of sympathy or remorse he experienced a sense of

liberation and thus began an addiction to violence that stayed with him

throughout the rest of his childhood and much of his adult life.

A narrative of violent and brutal gang life in both the streets and

prison, Original Diamond Boy is, paradoxically, also a story of healing.

Human connections — relationships — are essential for recovery from the

trauma caused by violence in the home, on the streets, or resulting from

racism and oppression. Le’Taxione was nurtured by the relationships

forged with other members of the Diamond Boys, and those relationships

made possible his journey toward wholeness. This amazing, unforgettable

book illuminates a path toward healing for our children: work to

eradicate the violence of gang life, of racism and oppression, but

treasure the gang and the relationships between its members.

— Barbara Bennett, Ph.D.,

School Psychologist and Educational Consultant; Co-founder of First

Place School (an independent school in Seattle for children who have

experienced trauma due to family and/or community violence,

homelessness, poverty, racism and oppression); Instructor, “The

Psychology of Trauma”,

a University Behind Bars course at Monroe Correctional Complex.

VISIT US AT WWW.NSTEPGANGOLOGY.COM for more information on this innovative gang violence prevention & intervention program!!

“Original Diamond: The Psychology of a Gang Banger” is a companion piece to the Nine Steps to Empowerment Process – Gang Violence Prevention and Intervention curriculum, also authored by Le’Taxione (aka YoYo). It identifies the strength of the belief in and commitment to the gang; a commitment that neither the threat of incarceration or death has historically negated. It illuminates the original love for the “hood”, one which at its inception was honorable, but one which over time, due to a variety of societal issues was bastardized and then prioritized above love for family and for life. It defines the closed nature of the gang culture and how that nature makes positive change almost impossible if the impetus for that change comes from the outside of the gang. It illustrates why any effort, no matter how sincere, to address the gang violence problem cannot and will never be successful if it does not incorporate the gang member and if it does not come from inside of the culture, from inside of the gang.

“My book, “Original Diamond Boy: Psychology of a Gang Banger” was written not out of a desire to further proliferate the miscreant aspect of the gang mentality, but rather to give words to those currently suffering from that mentality in order to aid in their transformation; and also to give civilians who stand on the periphery of this subculture a bird’s eye view of the adverse psychology and behavior that is woven into our social fabric.”
Le’Taxione (a.k.a. YoYo)



ALSO LOOK FOR THE 2ND EDITION OF THE N'STEP CURRICULUM "GANGOLOGY 101" WHICH DEFINES A NEW PARADIGM FOR GANG VIOLENCE PREVENTION & INTERVENTION - "FROM THE INSIDE OUT"(tm)...Visit us at www.nstepgangology.com