DANVILLE, Virginia — A community leader, minister and author has penned his second book, “Gangs Vs. Kingdom: Battle for the Next Generation.”

Robert David Sr. is a native of Richmond County and from 2009 to 2018, he served as a juvenile probation officer for Hoke, Lumberton, Scotland and Richmond counties.

He now resides in Danville, Virginia, and is a gang violence prevention coordinator, motivational speaker, youth mentor and ordained minister. David also uses his gifts to speak internationally. He recently led a presentation at the National Gang Crime Research Center.

For counties like Richmond, David understands the gang culture.

“From personal experience and working with juveniles, they openly admitted to gang membership to me,” said David. “Especially in smaller communities, they can join a group because they grew up with a friend in it and they connect. It’s a universal socio-economic problem and a lack of finances makes them want money. Every gang is about money.”

He adds youth also want a sense of belonging, no matter if they are in a small town or a big city.

“We are in the Bible Belt and there are faith-based organizations and churches that do good work,” David said. “They sometimes don’t know what they are up against and don’t know how to approach them (gangs).”

David writes that young people become disenfranchised from their faith, in search of a sense of belonging that far too often comes in the form of gang membership.

“Everyone wants to be a part of something, have a voice,” said David. “When you struggle with finances and school, it’s easier to go to the streets and join a gang.”

Gang issues have grown over the past 15 years in the South, David said. In his book, he breaks down how gangs captivate youth using common examples like the Bloods and Crips and compares gangs to a “religion.”

“A gang operates like a Christian Trinity,” said David. “So money is their god because it gives them provision; the O.G., or leader, is their messiah because the only way you can get to the money is through him; the gang members are their holy spirit because they comfort each other in times of trouble.”

He also provides the groundwork for combating gang violence using basic moral principles, which he says should be rooted in Christianity. Using historical examples and biblical text, David explains how tribes and societal organizations evolved into the gang units we know today.

“A gang in and of itself is not harmful in nature,” writes David. “In the Bible, groups were called tribes and references to them can be found as early as the book of Genesis … the differentiating factor is tied to purpose.”

“Gangs vs. Kingdom: Battle for the Next Generation” was released Aug. 1, and is available for purchase at amazon.com.

To contact him, send an email to [email protected].

Jael Pembrick can be reached at 910-506-3169 or [email protected].

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Author draws on hisregional experiences

Jael Pembrick

Staff writer