Black Guns Matter

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Black Guns Matter
Logo that says Black Guns Matter
Logo of Black Guns Matter
AbbreviationBGM
Formation2016
FounderMaj Toure
PurposeGun rights advocacy, firearm safety
Demonstrators at the 2020 VCDL Lobby Day gun rights rally. One demonstrator can be seen wearing Black Guns Matter apparel.

Black Guns Matter is an organization aimed at educating African Americans about gun use in the US, primarily around defending Second Amendment rights.[1] The organization is led by Maj Toure, who founded it in 2016.[2] Black Guns Matter has hosted workshops in multiple cities to teach the basics of firearm safety, US gun laws, and conflict resolution.[3][4]

Background[]

While African Americans predominantly support gun control, the 2016 election of former US president Donald Trump sparked a wave of interest in firearm ownership.[5] In this time, the National African American Gun Association saw a tripled increase in membership, attributed to a fear of heightened racial tensions and a perceived need for self defense. While still less likely to be gun owners than white Americans, interest in firearms among African Americans grew again in 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the George Floyd protests, and renewed concerns around police brutality.[2] This growth has led to a renewed interest in Black Guns Matter and other gun rights advocacy groups such as the National African American Gun Association.

In 2016, Toure founded Black Guns Matter to prevent people from being arrested on what he believed to be avoidable gun possession charges due to a lack of knowledge on how to legally purchase and carry firearms.[6] The organization takes its name from the Black Lives Matter social movement, sharing similar criticisms of excessive police brutality.[7] However, referencing claims of lacking financial transparency, Toure has accused the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation of being a "sham organization" and a "money-laundering scheme" for the Democratic Party.[8]

Views[]

Representing Black Guns Matter, Toure has testified before the House of Representatives for a hearing on urban gun violence to argue that educating citizens on conflict resolution is more effective than gun control.[9] The organization attributes the high homicide rates in inner cities to a failure to de-escalate from violence and a lack of gun safety. Toure has claimed that "more Black people would be alive if they were armed". He also argued that rates of police brutality may decrease when Black men carrying firearms are viewed as less of a threat by police.[2][10]

Toure has claimed that "all gun control is racist," pointing to the 1967 Mulford Act that banned open-carry in the United States in reaction to the weaponized Black Panther Party.[2] However, unlike the Black Panther Party, Toure is an avowed conservative and libertarian.[6] Speaking about Black Guns Matter at CPAC in 2021, Toure argued that Black Guns Matter also aimed to promote conservatism in the African American community, which he believes that the conservative movement has historically failed to support.[11][12]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Gun sales spike among African-Americans: 'Our ancestors died for us to vote, they also died for us to be able to carry guns'". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
  2. ^ a b c d Abadi, Mark; Scher, Isaac; Duarte, Barbara Corbellini; Jiang, Hannah (July 15, 2020). "A group called 'Black Guns Matter' is teaching Black Americans how to use firearms". Business Insider. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
  3. ^ "Black Americans flock to gun stores and clubs: 'I needed to protect myself'". The Guardian. 2021-04-05. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
  4. ^ Mellisa, Chan (November 17, 2020). "Racial Tension is Behind a Rise in Black Gun Ownership". Time. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
  5. ^ "African-American Gun Rights Group Grows In The Age Of Trump". NPR. 2018-03-31. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
  6. ^ a b "New CPAC stars: Black gun rights activists". Politico. 2019-03-01. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
  7. ^ "When Blacks Exercise Their Second Amendment Rights". NBC News. 2016-09-15. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  8. ^ "Black Guns Matter Founder Maj Toure: Black Lives Matter "Designed Specifically To Fleece The Black Community"". RealClearPolitics. 2021-05-24. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  9. ^ "Community Responses to Gun Violence in our Cities". U.S. House Judiciary Committee. 2019-09-26. Retrieved 2021-11-02.
  10. ^ "'Black Guns Matter' Focuses On Firearms Education To Decrease Violence". NPR. 2016-06-20. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  11. ^ "CPAC 2021 | Maj Toure". CPAC 2021. 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
  12. ^ Bump, Philip. "Analysis | The evolution of CPAC's speaker lineup is the story of the GOP". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
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