A report from the National Shooting Sports Foundation found an increase in gun ownership among black Americans in the first half of 2020.
The ownership “increased by 58.2%,” mainly because of the pandemic and the death of George Floyd in late May.
From Fox News:
Wanda James, co-owner of the new 1770 Armory and Gun Club in Denver, said the state of American politics is driving gun ownership among Black Americans.”We are definitely embracing our 2nd Amendment,” James told Fox News. “A lot of that is due to not feeling safe, and wanting to protect ourselves and our family in the same way that every other American is given that right, and I believe that Black America has decided to start embracing that.”—Chanel Tillman, vice commander at the Black Gun Owners Association, also cited these recent events for reasons for more gun purchases.”The current climate dictates that we bear arms,” Tillman said. “It is essential that we are able to protect ourselves, those we love and our belongings.”
Colorado’s first black-owned gun club opened last month in a historically black neighborhood of Denver:
1770 Armory and Gun Club was named after the year the American Revolution started and the year Crispus Attucks, a Black man who is widely considered the first American to die in the revolution, was killed.There is a high demand among Black communities, especially in Aurora, where residents are legally acquiring concealed weapons. This motivated Derone Armstrong, a pastor of Leake Memorial Church in Aurora, to spearhead the formation of a local chapter of the Black Gun Owners Association.“When the pandemic hit, it escalated. People became fearful because they didn’t know what was going to happen with the hoarding,” Armstrong said.“And then with the rise of racism and white supremacy, people want to protect themselves.”
Blacks who long held anti-gun views changed their minds due to the climate. Beverly, who lives in Aurora, said that “you’ve got to protect your family.”
Denver does not allow live-fire ranges:
Denver prohibits a live-fire gun range, so shooters use an infrared simulator, which also cuts down the expenses of members. Computer cartridges shaped like bullets are inserted into a gun’s chamber, and those cartridges send signals to a computer that records the shots fired at targets mounted on the walls, according to The Denver Post. 1170 however has partnerships at outdoor ranges in other counties for its members.
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