The Black Tradition of Arms Essay
By: Caris Guyden : A Requirement of the Aiming for College Excellence (ACE) 2023 Scholarship Application (1 of 4 winning Essays!)
The Black tradition of arms in America refers to the use of armed resistance by African Americans to fight against slavery and oppression. The tradition has its roots in African culture, where warriors were respected members of society and self-defense was seen as a natural right. The Black tradition of arms in the United States is a long and complex history that has been shaped by slavery, Jim Crow laws, and the struggle for civil rights. African Americans have a rich tradition of using arms to defend themselves and their communities against oppression and violence, while also fighting to keep those rights.
During slavery, enslaved Africans were often prohibited from owning weapons, as slave owners feared armed rebellion. However, many enslaved Africans found ways to acquire weapons, and some even used them in rebellion. For example, the Stono Rebellion, in 1739, was a slave uprising led by a group of African slaves who seized guns and ammunition from a store in South Carolina and marched towards Florida, where they hoped to find freedom. The rebellion was well-organized, with the participants carrying weapons such as guns, knives, and hatchets. They also wore military uniforms and carried banners proclaiming “Liberty!” and “We Will Fight for Our Freedom!”
During the Reconstruction era following the Civil War, African Americans gained more legal rights and were able to exercise their right to bear arms. Many Black communities formed armed self-defense groups to protect themselves from white supremacist violence, such as the Ku Klux Klan.
After the Reconstruction era, many southern states began enacting strict gun control laws that were designed to prevent African Americans from owning firearms. These laws were often referred to as “Black Codes” and were part of a broader system of racial segregation and oppression known as Jim Crow. Ironically, lawmakers are trying to reenact many of these laws against everyone, not just Black people.
One way these laws worked was through requiring people to obtain a license to own a gun. However, these licenses were often only granted to white citizens, and local officials had broad discretion to deny licenses to African Americans based on their race or other discriminatory reasons. Martin Luther King Jr. applied for a permit to carry a gun after his home was bombed in 1956. Despite the potentially deadly threats that King faced as a leader of the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott, the county sheriff, Mac Sim Butler, said no.
The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s saw the rise of organized armed self-defense groups like the Black Panther Party and the Deacons for Defense and Justice. These groups believed in using guns to protect Black communities from police violence and to promote Black self-determination.
Today, the Black tradition of arms continues through organizations such as the National African American Gun Association (NAAGA), which aims to promote responsible gun ownership and self-defense in the Black community. The organization also provides firearms training and education to its members.
Overall, the Black tradition of arms in the US has been shaped by a long history of oppression and resistance, and serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for civil rights and social justice.