Killer Mike Pens New Op-Ed Supporting Black Gun Ownership
Run the Jewels MC and activist Killer Mike has penned an op-ed for the daily news site Colorlines discussing the importance of black communities embracing the second amendment (the right to bear arms). In an article published May 27 titled “Black People Must Embrace the Second Amendment,” Mike (who wrote under his legal name Michael Render) urged people of color to “take seriously their Second Amendment rights.” He referenced a statement he made following the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, saying he was “urging people who look like me to take seriously shooting, training, and the protection of our rights.”
Mike went on to insist that members of the black community cannot always count on law enforcement for protection, and that the task of defending oneself and one’s family often falls in the hands of the individual. “My message to Black people across the country is the same today as it was a year ago: the only person you can count on to protect yourself and your family is you,” Mike wrote. “God gave you the right to use whatever tools are available to defend your rights. Nothing—including gun ownership—should be discarded. I encourage gun ownership to my wife, my son and daughters, your sons and daughters and all Black people. I wish the Black woman in Baltimore, Korey T. Johnson, who was recently chased and followed by a deranged brother, had a gun to protect herself. She found no safety at a hotel or from the police.”
Mike also pointed to historical instances of black activists arming themselves, such as Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, Malcolm X, and others. He also mentioned contemporary organizations that support gun ownership in communities of color, such as the National African American Gun Association, and My Sister’s Keeper Defense.
Mike goes on to endorse systemic changes that would not only allow for people of color to better defend themselves, but to prevent the over-criminalization of those communities. “As we advocate for increased gun ownership among Black people,” Mike writes, “we must simultaneously change the criminal justice system to support and protect Black people. This means hiring district attorneys who look like us. It also means changing laws that make it illegal for people with felony convictions to own guns. Once a person has completed all components of their sentence and repaid their debt to society, they should have not only their voting rights restored but also their right to legally own firearms. Again, many of these laws specifically and disproportionately target Black people, and revoking a person’s voting rights or gun ownership rights does little to ensure public safety.”
“Every human being has value,” Mike added. “With that value comes a God-given right to defend oneself. Black people are not exempt. We must increasingly pursue all means available to protect our person and our families. We must also work to elect leaders who understand and support this. Gun ownership may not solve everything, but it will give us a fighting chance.” Read the full article at Colorlines.
Run the Jewels recently detailed their forthcoming LP Run the Jewels 4, which will feature Zack de La Rocha, Josh Homme, Mavis Staples, Pharrell, and 2 Chainz.
Revisit Pitchfork’s 2017 interview “Run the Jewels’ Universal Theory of Not Giving a Fuck.”
Originally Appeared on Pitchfork
