Like everything else in life, however, times–and the minds of the people who live it–change. With the recent senseless killings of Black men, women, and children at the hands of law enforcement and white extremist vigilantes, the concept of implementing gun control within Black Society is generally no longer even being considered among the oppressed individuals of this “free country” who stand on the wrong end of injustice. Much of our Melanoid family around the country is taking the initiative to exercise the same rights that their non-Black counterparts have long used , and are getting armed themselves. For years following the end of the era of stand-up firearm-bearing Blacks such as the Black Panther Party of the 60s and 70s, there was a stereotypical notion in Black Society that the only people who owned firearms were the “good ol’ boys” of the dominant society, criminals, and the standard gun connoisseur who we witness at the gun shows.

Last year, The New York Times featured a report that covers the issue of Black gun ownership in America. Check it out in the video below.

As a means of proactively dealing with the escalated aggressive acts of racism in this country, many Blacks are beginning to form gun clubs, which is what members of the dominant society have done since the early days of this country. We’ve even witnessed Black gun advocates create platforms on sites such as YouTube, where they’ve amassed a substantial following. In the process, they’ve dispelled (some of) Black Society’s preconceived notions of what a gun owner should look like. If people in the dominant society embrace their rights to defend themselves, then shouldn’t we as Melanoid people do the same?

by B. Clark

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