Dimitriadis, G. (2003). Friendship, cliques, and gangs –Young Black men coming of age in urban America. New York: Teacher College Press. (ISBN 0-8077-4385-2, 117 pages).  

Erik Hines, M.Ed  

Friendship, Cliques, and Gangs –Young Black Men Coming of Age in Urban America, written by Greg Dimitriadis, presents insightful research, over a five-year period, on young African American men and how they cope and deal with various situations in urban America. The author investigates the friendship between two African American males, Rufus and Tony, and how their problems and struggles parallel each other. In the book, the author immersed himself in the lives of the two boys to explain how complicated their lives were in urban America. More specifically, the author investigates how Rufus and Tony cope with life in urban America. In the book, Dimitriadis presents provocative information related to the resources and support the boys relied on to advance through the different stages of adolescence. Additionally, he challenges the traditional view of what society may call a “normal” adolescent development by looking at socioeconomic status and social environments.  

In chapter one, Dimitriadis starts off by explaining the definitions of adolescence and “at-risk” youth and how both connotations apply to social context and economic status. Both explanations illustrate to the reader the challenges of adolescent development for urban youth. In this chapter, the author presents content on how “at risk” youth are commonly defined. According to the Dimitriadis, they are frequently defined by poor academic performance and maladaptive adolescent development. Dimitriadis, in chapter one, compares the life of middle-class adolescents and adolescents that are considered poor and “at-risk.” He elucidates the characteristics of “at risk” youth by including role expectations (e.g., being an adult at home while becoming a child at school) and the definition of success.  

In chapter two, Dimitriadis presents content on social support systems and the friendships between African American males. Although there is little research on African American males and friendships, the author highlights common characteristics African American men exhibit and use to define their masculinity. For example, Rufus and Tony used their friendship to encourage one another to stay away from negative activities in their surroundings. Dimitriadis also gives the reader background information on Rufus and Tony that is extremely helpful in understanding their plight for success and a better life. Both boys shared similar demographics: (a) fatherless home; (b) low-income environment; and (c) had a need for a safe, family-oriented setting. In this chapter, the author describes Hub City, where Rufus and Tony resided, as a place that had a big manufacturing base that attracted African Americans to the area until the 1970s. Like Rufus and Tony, many of the African Americans who live in Hub City were born in the South or had generational ties to the Southeastern part of the United States. Moreover, in this chapter, Hub City was portrayed as a town where African Americans and Whites were “separated by the tracks”- meaning each racial group primarily dwell on their side of the city. Also, Hub City is known for gangs and violence, which surround Tony and Rufus. Rufus is placed with the duty of caring for a mother with extreme, medical problems. In my opinion, he was a student who had faced the arduous task of balancing school with urban street life. Unlike Rufus, Tony was heavily involved in gang activities as a way of obtaining respect and protection. In this chapter, Dimitriadis illustrates that Tony, Rufus, and several of their friends formed a bond rooted in neighborhood pride. The author refers to this connection as a “clique.”  The Black male bond provided an opportunity for the boys to avoid negative influences of the streets.  

In chapter three, Dimitriadis challenges the notion of traditional schooling as a remedy for “at risk youth” by using Rufus and Tony as the moral compass. He also explains the shortcomings of public schools with Tony and Rufus. Dimitriadis explicates how the two used the local community center to avoid violence and gang-related activities that frequently occurred in their neighborhoods. While at the community center, the two young men were able to develop leadership skills, taught responsibility, and had the opportunity to contribute to their community through working and volunteering their services. In this chapter, Dimitriadis highlights the advantages of the community center and justifies incorporating this type of community-based organization within the public school system. The author also presents to the reader the benefits of such community-based centers for “at-risk” youth in urban settings. Although Dimitriadis makes a case for community centers, it is clear, based Tony’s continued involvement with gang activities, that urban, African American youth are faced with many challenges in their communities and schools.  

In chapter four, role models and various activities used to deter youth violence and gang membership are discussed. Supported by research, Dimitriadis points out that role models and people of positive influence can help young people improve academically and socially. In particular, he presents information on Johnny, the head of the community center. Dimitriadis speaks about how Johnny has earned the respect of the young people and older people in the neighborhood. He goes on to explain how involved Johnny was in the lives of these youth and how he taught some of the young people strategies to survive and maneuver through life. For example, Johnny encouraged Rufus to play football because he believed that this extracurricular activity would make him more aggressive as well as build his confidence. Additionally, he brings to light how role models and “old heads” of the community teach the youth how to operate in and out of their cultural surroundings. This is very important because one must learn to function in a professional as well as their personal environment. Other activities mentioned in this chapter to deter youth from negative influences is the “Junior Egyptian Lodge.” This organization mentored young boys and men while integrating Afrocentrism into the program. Also, in this chapter, Dimitriadis mentioned Doug, another role model for the boys. Doug was well respected by the community and had a powerful influence on the young people. A special area designated for teenagers (e.g., teen center) at the community center was developed to keep them away from violence and gang related activity.  For example, Tony and Rufus were heavily involved in the teen center because they wanted to exert a positive influence on the other adolescents in their neighborhoods. In this chapter, it was quite obvious that Dimitriadis demonstrated how role models, community based-organizations, and the young people could be a major asset for African American, urban communities.  

Chapter five presented follow-up information on Rufus and Tony and their efforts to become men. Although these two young boys were striving to stay away from negative influences, they still encountered them. Tony continually came across some type of gang activity, even though he was involved in the community center. Because of this, he attended Job Corp to attain his Graduate Equivalency Diploma (GED). Tony was still confronted with gang activities, and Rufus continuously dealt with being a caregiver for his mother.  In this chapter, Dimitriadis thoroughly explained how Rufus and Tony grew up to be young men through the events that occurred in their lives. In my opinion, Dimitriadis does an “excellent” job of summarizing their interpretation of their past, present, and future. He illustrates how Rufus started college and took on responsibilities while Tony was working on his G.E.D. and wanted to be a positive role model for his little brother. It is apparent that Rufus and Tony relentlessly pursued a life that was full of hope and possibilities. Both of these young men wanted to become teachers so that they can give to others what they have been given-an opportunity to be successful.  

Friendship, Cliques, and Gangs –Young Black Men Coming of Age in Urban America is a book that explains the complexities of not only “at-risk” youth but also the ongoing saga of urban, African American males. Dimitriadis investigates the implications of being an “at-risk” youth and why such youth are attracted or lured to risky lifestyles and behaviors.  In this book, Dimitriadis illustrates how community organizations, role models, and personal investments aided in the transformation of the lives of Rufus and Tony. Based on the content and the writing style of the text, I highly recommend this book to researchers, educators, counselors, or anyone who is interested in gaining more insight and knowledge on the experiences of urban, African American youth in general and African American males in particular.  

About the Author:  Mr. Erik Hines is a first-year doctoral student in the counselor education program at the University of Maryland, College Park (USA). His scholarly interests include African American parental involvement in regards to social and academic achievement, African American males, and counseling African American families. Address correspondence to the author at the Department of Counseling and Personnel Service, College of Education, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742 USA; e-mail ehines3@umd.edu..