Raymond Washington

Lore & Background

Raymond Lee Washington was born on August 14, 1954, in Los Angeles, the youngest of four sons. His parents separated when he was two, and he was raised by his mother and stepfather on East 76th Street in South Central. As an adolescent, he developed an affinity for fist-fighting and was frequently in trouble with the police. Neighbors gave conflicting accounts: some described him as a protector of the community, while others called him a bully. He was repeatedly expelled from schools, attending Locke High School, John C. Fremont High School, an alternative school, and Fairfax High School.

In the late 1960s, Washington joined a local gang called The Avenues. After a fight with the leader's younger brother, he left the gang and in late 1969 organized his own gang, the Baby Avenues. In late 1971, he approached Stanley 'Tookie' Williams at Washington Preparatory High School, proposing a confederation of gangs. Williams accepted, uniting West Side gangs as the West Side Crips. The Crips quickly became the largest street gang in Los Angeles, with Washington as the primary founder. Rival gangs formed the Bloods, sparking a surge in violent crime.

In 1974, Washington was convicted of second-degree robbery and sentenced to five years to life at Deuel Vocational Institution. There, he recruited young inmates into the Crips, drawing opposition from the Black Muslims and Black Guerrilla Family. His leadership and influence in the Crips declined during his imprisonment. He was released from prison in 1978, and on August 9, 1979, over a year later, Washington was murdered in a drive-by shooting.

Reader's Guide

Raymond Washington's significance lies in his role as the founder of the Crips, which became the first major African-American street gang in Los Angeles and a dominant force in gang culture. His 1971 alliance with Stanley 'Tookie' Williams consolidated numerous smaller gangs into a powerful confederation, reshaping the criminal landscape of South Central Los Angeles. The Crips' rapid expansion and the formation of the rival Bloods led to a dramatic increase in gang violence, drawing widespread media attention and influencing public perception of urban crime. Washington's imprisonment and subsequent murder highlighted the instability of gang leadership and the cycle of violence that characterized the era. His legacy is complex, marked by both the creation of a lasting criminal organization and the personal tragedies that accompanied its rise.

Did You Know?

• Washington formed his first gang, the Baby Avenues, in late 1969 after leaving the Avenues.
• He proposed the Crips confederation to Stanley 'Tookie' Williams at Washington Preparatory High School in late 1971.
• Washington was convicted of second-degree robbery in 1974 and sentenced to five years to life in prison.
• He was released from prison in 1978 and murdered in a drive-by shooting on August 9, 1979.