As Gun Ownership Rises In The United States, Black Imagery Shifts

How photographer Christian K. Lee and activist Paquita Wiggins work to change the narrative about legal gun ownership among African Americans

Tylissa Frazier, 38, right, is being hugged by her husband Kenneth Frazier, 35, outside her home … [+] They are holding their fire amrs on Saturday April 3, 2021 in Temple, Tx. “We get stopped a lot, so a license shows that we are law-abiding citizens,” Tylissa said.

Christian K. Lee

Eliminating the stereotypes associated with black gun possession in this country is the mission of two ordinary citizens: Christian K. Lee, a photojournalist from Austin, Texas, and Paquita Wiggins, an LGBTQ activist residing in the capital of our country. Both believe that there is a misunderstanding underlying gun ownership in the black community. Lee and Wiggins are working to change outdated notions of what they say are black and armed as dangerous, threatening, and contrary to what it means to be a law abiding citizen in the United States.

Wiggins and Lee are just two of many who want to change the misconceptions about gun ownership in the black community and bring forward a positive narrative about the right of black America to carry guns. With law enforcement distrust and crime at an all-time high, these two myth-breakers see gun ownership as a means to create safe and thriving communities and protect black households and neighborhoods, according to Pew Research.

As a gun owner and award-winning photojournalist, with contributions to Rolling Stone, Buzzfeed, ABC News, National Geographic and the Washington Post Magazine, Lee has focused on creating positive images of black people and guns. “My job is not about me, it’s about others, and I use my camera as a tool to get to know people from all over the world,” said Lee.

In a recent project, “Armed Does Not Mean Dangerous,” Lee photographs black Americans with their firearms to dispel a longstanding myth about the danger associated with black Americans and their right to own a gun in the Second Amendment.

“My subjects feel that their lives may be threatened or endangered because they grew up without proper weapons training,” Lee said. “Those I photograph deeply sense that there is a new need to educate themselves and their families. They see the new protest by far-right groups as a sign that they are lagging behind, and these citizens have a learning curve when it comes to guns goes. ” Formation and exercise of their Second Amendment rights. “

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the firearms trade association, found that 40 percent of gun sales in 2020 were to first-time buyers and that purchases by black Americans skyrocketed 56 percent, more than any other race.

According to Lee, many of the subjects he photographs are homeowners, professionals, and middle-class people, labels that have enabled them to escape much of the stigma associated with black gun ownership in America.

“What I found ironic is how people perceive African American gun owners in my project,” Lee said. “I often ask myself whether your perception would change if my subjects lived in other zip codes or were photographed in clothing that is stereotypically associated with violence.” Would this type of image material violate your access to the 2nd additional article? “

This open question has polarized gun ownership in the black community.

“As a native of Chicago, the reason most black people don’t want to own guns is not because they are afraid of guns themselves, but because much of the gun trauma in their communities is gun violence by a citizen or police with shootings “Just look at the case of Breonna Taylor. She was found dead at home after a gun was legally used to protect her and her family. This weird one.” Dynamism has cast a serious shadow over gun ownership for the black community. “

This is a shadow that LGBTQ activist, second amendment supporter, and black lesbian Paquita Wiggins is working on disintegrating the black LGBTQ community. A trained licensed architect and small business owner, Wiggins has founded her own black gay, lesbian and transgender gun club and has become a leading voice in the fight for more possession of LGBTQ black guns for protection. “One of the biggest misnomeres in the Black Second Amendment community is that we’re kind of ignorant and unprofessional – and that’s far from the truth,” said Wiggins.

“The black LGBTQ community has always been progressive, on both blacks and LGBTQ issues. And while we’ve seen a lot of positive progress in changing the guidelines for the LGBTQ community, we haven’t seen those changes take root for the black community, of which we are a part, “added Wiggins.” This flaw of change has resulted in a rise in gun interest and ownership among the black LGBTQ community. Gun ownership enables us to protect ourselves and our families from potential police violence and the rise of white supremacy. “

Wiggins also quickly appealed to the National Rifle Association (NRA) and other pro-gun groups for their lack of advocacy among black gun owners and their active involvement in making gun ownership difficult for black Americans throughout history.

Citing California’s Mulford Act of 1967, an NRA-backed bill that bans the open carrying of loaded firearms, as an affront to Black Panther demands for greater black gun possession, Wiggins said, “This country has been around for a long time Gun laws and regulations revolved around removing guns from the hands and homes of blacks. “

The black community is the fastest growing gun owner population in the United States. Fueled by the dueling pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice, and the fight for rights and freedoms against all odds, black gun possession has seen a surge reflecting the changing landscape of American culture.

“As black ownership continues to grow, we should work to educate, inform and empower those who want to be legal gun owners,” said Wiggins. “A lot of people assume that you have to be part of the conservative movement to believe in the second amendment, and we have to change that. In many cases, the black community, especially those who identify as queer, are vulnerable and vulnerable and these realities “can be changed with personal and legal gun possession.”

As Wiggins’ Black LGBTQ Gun Club continues to grow, it is focused on establishing gun owner clinics on state and local gun laws and monthly gun field meetings to improve the accuracy and comfort of its members in using their legal guns.

Lee and Wiggins are not trying to convince their communities that gun ownership is a must. Instead, they want African Americans to see a positive image of themselves when it comes to legal gun ownership. They also want American society as a whole not to be afraid of black gun owners when they see them in the community.

“Firearm possession is a right that all Americans have. Regardless of how someone feels when they see a black man with a gun, we as a nation need to condition ourselves to know that it is acceptable, ”Lee said. “Some black citizens will exercise their right to the second amendment and others will not. Those who choose to exercise their rights should be able to do so without fear for their lives.”

While black gun possession continued to increase during the pandemic, the numbers are now starting to stabilize. According to the FBI’s NICS Adjusted Background Check System – a database used to conduct background checks on individuals who wish to possess a firearm or explosives, as required by law – weapon background checks were down 17 percent year-on-year in May 2021. The May 2021 background checks were the second strongest for the month on record, but were surpassed by May 2020 when the firearms background checks totaled 1.6 million.