Gang activity in South Central Los Angeles has its roots in a variety of factors dating back to the 1950s and '60s, including post-World War II economic decline leading to joblessness and poverty, racial segregation leading to the formation of black "street clubs" by young African American men who were excluded from organizations such as the Boy Scouts, and the waning of black nationalist organizations such as the Black Panther Party and the Black Power Movement.
Bande-aktiviteten i South Central Los Angeles har sine rødder, i en række forskellige faktorer i 1950'erne og '60'erne, herunder den økonomiske nedgang efter anden verdenskrig, hvilket førte til arbejdsløshed, fattigdom, og raceadskillelse som førte til dannelsen, af sorte "street clubs" af unge afro-amerikanere som var udelukket, fra organisationer såsom Spejderbevægelsen, og aftagende sorte nationalistiske-organisationer såsom Black Panther Party og Black Power Movement.