Homeboys of Oz - Overview

Overview

The Homeboys of Oz are a large organized gang of black inmates brought together by the drug-trade. As many of them come from impoverished and violent inner-city neighborhoods, the Homeboys are one of the most violent gangs in Oz. Many of the black inmates come from similar socio-economic backgrounds, violent criminal histories, and as victims of racial prejudice; they are thus often allied on the basis of a shared background and skin color. Although the group consists of several African-American inmates across all units and blocks of Oz, their leadership and main operations is shown throughout the series as being based in Emerald City.

The leadership and membership of the Homeboys fluctuates dramatically throughout the series, mostly due to intense internal conflict and numerous violent struggles for the drug trade with many groups in Oz. They are initially led by Jefferson Keane, shortly followed by Paul Markstrom, then led to the top of the drug-trade by Simon Adebisi and then finally reorganized under Burr Redding. Homeboy inmates and lieutenants Kenny Wangler and Arnold "Poet" Jackson briefly lead the group but are revoked quickly as they are not as powerful or competent as the other leaders, instead fulfilling lieutenant roles. A constant influx of prisoners, as well as internal disputes and casualties keep the Homeboys membership fluctuating; Junior Pierce, Johnny Post, Supreme Allah, Omar White, Mondo Browne, Leroy Tidd, Supreme Allah, Tug Daniels, Malcolm Coyle and Reggie Rawls are some prominent dealers and soldiers of the gang.

Throughout the series, the Homeboys primarily feud with the Italian and later the Latino inmates (both of whom are constantly referred to with racial epithets by to as "guineas" and "spics," respectively) over the drug trade of Oz. Though on several occasions the three groups ally for a fair three-way split of the drug trade, the fluctuating leadership of the Homeboys causes the ties to be split and re-established several times. The Homeboys also constantly harass and fight several neutral and individual inmates of Oz such as Bob Rebadow and Tobias Beecher, and make significant enemies in Chris Keller and Ryan O'Reily, as well as drawing the ire of their Muslim brothers. Despite the shared racial hatred towards each other, the Homeboys conflict with the Aryan Brotherhood and their Biker allies mostly on an indirect basis or due to basic racial tensions, as the Aryan's stance on drugs makes them minimally involved in the power disputes of the drug-trade, the Homeboy's primary concern.

As Oz is also majority Black with the Homeboys constituting the largest gang, Warden Glynn on two occasions uses two African American narcotics detectives to try to acclimate to the Homeboys as a means of stopping the drug trade. Throughout the series, the Homeboys work in the kitchen with the Italian and Irish inmates, constantly vying for control over the workplace. This changes in the final season when Redding moves them to work as telemarketers.