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Black Women Lead Surge In Gun Ownership
Black Women Lead Surge In Gun Ownership
Photo Credit: Lisa Marie Pane for The Associated Press

Black Women Lead Surge In Gun Ownership

Black Women Lead Surge In Gun Ownership Photo Credit: Lisa Marie Pane for The Associated Press

A recent study has shown that black women outpace other races and genders in securing concealed carry permits.

In a report from the Associated Press, gun sales among black people — particularly black women — have increased in recent years, with many learning how to protect themselves against domestic violence. Although very few states track gun permits by race or gender, a recent study by gun-rights advocate and researcher John Lott discovered that black women outpaced other races and genders in securing concealed carry permits between 2000 and 2016 in Texas, which is one of the few states that keep detailed demographic information.

"It's important, especially for black women, to learn how to shoot," Marchelle "Tig" Tigner, a survivor of domestic violence who trains women on firing guns, said. "We need to learn how to defend ourselves."

Other surveys released in recent years have highlighted the rise of acceptance of firearms among black people. In 2015, one was released that revealed 59 percent of black families saw owning guns as a necessity, in comparison to 2012 when less than one-third of black households viewed gun ownership as positive.

Philip Smith, founder of the National African American Gun Association, said that politics also play a part in why more black people have become interested in owning guns.

"Regardless of what side you're on, in the fabric of society right now, there's an undertone, a tension that you see that groups you saw on the fringes 20 years ago are now in the open," Smith said. "It seems to me it's very cool to be a racist right now, it's in fashion, it's a trend."

Source: associatedpress.com