Inca for NC Latin Kings to fellow gang leaders: Let’s talk peace

Jorge Cornell, who described himself as the inca of North Carolina for the Latin Kings, appeared at a press conference in the sanctuary of Faith Community Church in Greensboro on Monday and issued a call for unity among gangs across the state.

The following is Cornell’s statement:

“My goal is to bring peace to the streets, black and brown come together as one. I’m asking for all Bloods, Crips, MS-13, [incomprehensible], everybody out there that represents something to put your weapons down and let’s come to a table so we can talk peace….

“I’ve reached out to some sets of Bloods, some sets of Crips. I have another group called the Black Keystones, another group called Nietas. They are willing to come to the table for peace so far. We need to reach out further to other Bloods and other Crips throughout our city and our state….

“The response is beautiful. What I hope is coming to true. Black and brown are uniting. We are starting to come together as one. We will make a difference for Latinos and blacks….

“What I’m asking these other gang leaders when we come to sit down at this table is – you know you’ll always have your knuckleheads out there. You always have one that wants to break up this beautiful thing because not everybody wants peace. So what I’m asking these leaders to do is, if you got one that’s going to start trouble with the other, don’t let those two let it get physical. And if it does, don’t let it cause a war. Let’s bring it to the attention of those leaders, and let those leaders deal with their own instead of us dealing with their own. And if that means kicking them out, that’s what it means, because I find it to be very powerful that when you kick somebody out of something that they love and that they respected and just ignore them, that’s the most hurtful thing. It might get them to change and do right. And give them another opportunity to come back in and do right….

“The peace has already started. We just waiting for the date, the place to be set, so we ready to go, so we can put everything down on paper and make it official.”

Cornell said he approached the Rev. Nelson Johnson for spiritual advice after he heard from fellow Latin Kings that he was wanted by the police. Johnson accompanied Cornell to the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office in the early morning hours of June 27, but the gang leader learned there were no warrants for his arrest. Cornell said he believes the police began harassing him to discourage his peacemaking efforts after he was quoted in a recent article in Que Pasa calling for cooperation between area gangs.