Originally known simply as the Organization, it arose in the 1970s from the reformed
New York City gang the
Black Spades, a street gang from the
South Bronx. While the Black Spades were the base of the organization, other reformed gangs contributed additional members, notably the
Savage Nomads,
Seven Immortals, and
Savage Skulls, among others. Members began to organize cultural events for youths, combining local dance and music movements into what would become known as the various elements of
hip hop culture. Elements of the culture include Emceeing (
MCing), Deejaying (
DJing), breaking (
Breakdancing), and writing (
Graffiti). In many interviews, Afrika Bambaataa has spoken of the name "Zulu" as being inspired by the
1964 film of the same name. The imagery of the Zulu Nation has varied at times as well. During the 1970s and the 1980s, Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation members would often clothe themselves in costumes representing different cultures of the world. Since the early 1980s, the Zulu Nation has established autonomous branches in
Japan,
France, the
UK,
Australia,
Canada,
South Korea and the Cape Flats in Cape Town
South Africa. From the late 1980s, at the height of the
Afrocentric movement in Hip Hop (when artists such as
KRS-One,
Public Enemy,
A Tribe Called Quest,
Native Tongues, and
Rakim hit success), the movement seemed to be incorporating many doctrines from the
Nation of Islam, the
Nation of Gods and Earths, and the
Nuwaubians. In the mid-1990s, some members began to break off starting their own projects or organizations such as "Ill Crew Universal".
Disassociation from Afrika Bambaataa Afrika Bambaataa stood down as head of the Zulu Nation in May 2016 after allegations of sexually abusing several young men and children in the organization.
Ronald Savage was the first of several men to publicly accuse Bambaataa. In June 2016, Universal Zulu Nation, which previously defended Bambaataa and even suggested that one of his accusers was "mentally challenged," issued a letter confirming the change in the organization's stance towards Bambaataa's sex abuse allegations and offering an apology, stating, among other things, that "We extend our deepest and most sincere apologies to the many people who have been hurt by the actions of Afrika Bambaataa and the subsequent poor response of our organisation to allegations levelled against him." This apology letter was signed by nearly three dozen members of the Zulu Nation, including leaders from as far as New Zealand. In 2017, hundreds of Zulus resigned due to distrust of the Zulu Nation and founded their own organization, the Zulu Union. ==Zulu Nation in France==