Lionel Royce was the leader of the Philadelphia chapter of the Black Liberation Front in 1969. Lionel was aware that one BLF member Gerard Gary, was romantically involved with Julia Hoffman, a white girl, which Lionel disapproved of. Lionel was even more opposed to Gerard working with Julia for JANE, an underground abortion service. The BLF was militantly against abortion, considering it genocide for black people. In later years, Lionel had several run-ins with the law. In 2004, he was in prison for robbing a 7-11. He would later say he was "collecting reparations for slavery".