Ansar "Stan" Muhammad: Executive Director, Venice 2000
"Stan" Muhammad has nothing left to hide and nothing left to fear. Before becoming the Executive Director of Venice 2000, a gang rehabilitation and job-training program, Muhammad served time in prison for selling dope at the corner of Westminster and 6th Avenue. As a witness to the social collapse of the area, Muhammad has since been working on the inside, creating tools to enable members of the community to organize and renounce their gang ties. And although he does not negate the responsibility that his people must bear for the bloodshed, Muhammad firmly believes that police injunctions were designed to create a hike in property values and the gentrification of Oakwood, rather than prevent crime.
The Hidden Hand
"When you're dealing with gentrification, and with displacement of families, you're dealing with power on a high level."
Poison
"I had a choice to make when I came home: either get back in the game, or wash my hands of it. And if I hadn't decided to do that, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you right now."
