For more than thirty years, the American antifascist movement has sought to maintain a militant edge while moving away from the gang model-first in the jump from the Baldies to ARA, then in the shift from ARA to Antifa. Nevertheless, though it is in no way the only or even the main source or influence shaping antifascist organizing today, the gang element has left a deep imprint. It shows up in some relatively benign cultural signifiers, like laurel-wreath imagery, the use of tattoos as markers of loyalty, and a greater-than-average enthusiasm for soccer and ska. It also shows up in some minor tactical choices, such as the use of graffiti to "mark space as antifascist or reclaim it from fascists."

It is important here to acknowledge the inherent attractions of the gang as a social unit, the very real needs it can fill in the lives of its members, and the advantages these can bring for political action. Looking back over his long experience with antiracist organizing, Mic Crenshaw concludes: "I think what made us strong is that we were friends and we loved each other, and we approached the struggle and the activity from that basis... When you take away the overt political ideologies and the violence, it was really about friendship. When I founded the Baldies, that was the first time I really felt at home."

— Gang Politics by Kristian Williams (Page 107 - 108)