These have been opposing strains in the civil-rights movement since the days of the Rev. Martin Luther King.
King's great challenge, and great accomplishment, was to fight the forces of violence and destruction and lead a movement defined by hope and possibility. In addressing this challenge he wrote: "What could I say that could keep them courageous and prepared for positive action and yet devoid of hate and resentment."
King believed in the ideals of America, that racists could be led to repentance, and that equality could be achieved. He spoke of the "magnificent" words of our Constitution and shared his dream that black citizens could share in the freedom that the Founders conceived for all.
The forces that King tried to keep at bay preached nightmares rather than dreams. They saw no hope in America. Their nightmare fed frustration, bred despair and spawned riots and violence.
King wanted equality. They wanted revenge.
The gangs, of which Williams was a founder, and today's hip-hop and "gangsta" culture are offspring of the nightmare. They convey hopelessness and a world without value to black kids. So these kids see no value in learning, work, faithfulness and morality.
Ironically, despite Williams' claim to redemption, and alleged repudiation of the gang culture, the message he has left behind, a message being amplified by his hangers-on, is feeding the nightmare and not the dream. He wanted to be forgiven, but he could not forgive. The result is not a legacy of hope and redemption but one of defiance and despair.
If Williams' folks really believe he was redeemed, and that his primary interest was to save black kids, they must change their tune. Stop trying to transform a deeply flawed man into a cult figure, and start talking about the possibilities in a free country for those who live responsible lives. King believed it, many blacks have achieved it, and it is the only possible hope for a decent future for black children.