Folks Who Get It: L.A. Mourns Over An O.G.Bo Taylor, known by many as the gangbanger turned Unity One founder and radio talk show host has died. The founder of a peacemaking organization that originated after the Los Angeles riots 16 years ago was just 42-years-old.
Personal and civil crises – his own escapes from gang gunfire, and later the riots – set Darren “Bo” Taylor on the path of promoting peace. With supporters including actors Harry Belafonte and Danny Glover, civil rights attorney Connie Rice and USC football coach Pete Carroll, Taylor founded the organization Unity One.
It helped maintain truces between L.A. gangs in the aftermath of the riots, and developed training programs in life skills like nonviolent conflict resolution and creative problem solving. In recent years, Unity One focused its efforts on inmates at L.A. County’s Pitchess Detention Center.
The organization’s website says more than 3,000 people at the facility have graduated from the training, and that fewer than 1 percent faced disciplinary action after that point. I had the pleasure of being on several panels with Bo and he was relentless in his pursuit of saving the young Black and Latino youth caught-up in the Thug Life mentality.
I specifically remember appearing before the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors arguing for more funding to create jobs for youth interested in construction and landscaping opportunities at the local parks. A ballot measure had passed requiring a certain percentage of these kids be hired, yet the companies who won the contracts were not honoring their commitments. Although a prosecutor at the time, I felt I was in good steed sitting there next to Bo.
You've been promoted Darren Taylor. Job well done!
Personal and civil crises – his own escapes from gang gunfire, and later the riots – set Darren “Bo” Taylor on the path of promoting peace. With supporters including actors Harry Belafonte and Danny Glover, civil rights attorney Connie Rice and USC football coach Pete Carroll, Taylor founded the organization Unity One.
It helped maintain truces between L.A. gangs in the aftermath of the riots, and developed training programs in life skills like nonviolent conflict resolution and creative problem solving. In recent years, Unity One focused its efforts on inmates at L.A. County’s Pitchess Detention Center.
The organization’s website says more than 3,000 people at the facility have graduated from the training, and that fewer than 1 percent faced disciplinary action after that point. I had the pleasure of being on several panels with Bo and he was relentless in his pursuit of saving the young Black and Latino youth caught-up in the Thug Life mentality.
I specifically remember appearing before the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors arguing for more funding to create jobs for youth interested in construction and landscaping opportunities at the local parks. A ballot measure had passed requiring a certain percentage of these kids be hired, yet the companies who won the contracts were not honoring their commitments. Although a prosecutor at the time, I felt I was in good steed sitting there next to Bo.
You've been promoted Darren Taylor. Job well done!