Who were the founders of the Folk Nation?

The founders of the Folk Nation were indeed David Barksdale, Jerome "Shorty" Freeman, and Larry Hoover. This group formed in the late 1970s in Chicago, uniting various street gangs under a shared philosophy and symbol to create a more organized structure among them. Their goal was to pool resources and provide mutual protection, which led to the establishment of a more cohesive identity for the various gangs that subscribed to the Folk Nation ideology. Each founder brought their influence and leadership, shaping the early dynamics of the organization and its expansion. The Folk Nation would later become significant in the context of gang culture and criminal enterprises, especially in the Midwestern United States. Understanding the roles of these founders helps contextualize the historical development of gang affiliations and legacies in that region.