Founded | 1969(as the Black Gangster Disciple Nation) 1989 (as the Gangster Disciples) |
---|---|
Founder | Larry Hoover |
Named after | Supreme Gangsters, Devils Disciples, Black Gangster Disciples |
Founding location | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
Years active | 1969–present |
Territory | Northeastern, Midwestern[1][2] |
Ethnicity | Primarily African American[3] |
Membership (est.) | 40,000-60,000 |
Leader(s) | Larry Hoover (formerly) |
Activities | Drug trafficking, assault, firearms violations, fraud, homicide, money laundering[4] |
Allies | Sureños 13[5] Folk Nation[1] Simon City Royals[6] |
Rivals | Black P. Stones[1] Black Disciples[7] Bloods[5][8] Latin Kings[1] People Nation[1] Vice Lords[1] Mickey Cobras[9] |
Notable members |
The Gangster Disciple Nation (often abbreviated as the GD's; formally, GDN), also known as Growth & Development, is an African American 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 Disciple Nation (BDN), respectively. As of 2022, following Hoover's departure, the GDN has no full-time leadership role.[10]