The Gangster Disciple Nation (often abbreviated as the GDs; formerly GDN, or simply Gangster Disciples), also known as Growth & Development, is an African-American street-gang and prison-gang founded by Larry Hoover (born 1950) in 1960. In 1968, he and his ex-rival David Barksdale (1947–1974), founder of the Black Disciples, came together to form the Black Gangster Disciple Nation (BGDN). Post-1989, following growing tension between its component parts, the BGDN split into two new factions: Larry Hoover's Gangster Disciple Nation (GDN) and the Black Disciple Nation (BDN). As of 2022, following Hoover's departure, the GDN has no full-time gang leader.
