Black History Month is a celebration of Black joy and excellence, with a focus on the awareness and understanding of the Black American experience. However, it would not be indicative of the Black American experience to ignore the disproportionate amount of gun violence that finds its way into Black communities and homes as compared to the rest of the country.
The systemic factors that drive racial disparities in housing, education, and poverty also have a direct influence on the concentrated degree of violence in Black communities. Deeply discriminatory policies have allowed the disinvestment and displacement of Black communities, excluding them from the institutional opportunities that help white Americans build socioeconomic mobility. Not only do these historically racist regulations have a contemporary impact on Black communities’ access to resources, but they also contribute to the economic instability and financial insecurity associated with living in poverty.
As of today, nearly one out of every five Black Americans lives below the poverty line. They are the second likely community to experience poverty, but the most at-risk demographic of experiencing gun violence. Research has shown a direct relationship between the effects of household poverty and socioeconomic disparities on a community’s exposure to gun violence. Therefore, we cannot discuss gun violence without first understanding its prejudiced roots and disproportionate marginalization of the Black community.
Despite making up only 14% of the population, Black citizens represent 60% of all gun-related homicides that take place every year. This number only increases when you isolate cities with the largest amount of disinvestment and residential discrimination, revealing that the consequence of racial disparity is a threat to a community’s well-being.
Gun violence is more than a political issue. It’s a public health and equity issue. To begin on a path toward a safer country, we must understand the social factors that further marginalize Black communities and work to dismantle the institutional practices that uphold them. It is essential to allocate the proper resources necessary to mitigate violence and help support the mental and physical healing of gun violence victims. Lawmakers have the responsibility to protect every citizen against the dangers of gun violence and create policy solutions that fit the idiosyncratic needs of each different community.
The Alliance’s mission to ensure safe firearm usage and responsibility in our local communities will have a profound impact on the conditions that contribute to racially concentrated gun violence. H.B. 1163: Require a Permit to Purchase Firearms, along with S.B: Hold Dealers Accountable, will reduce the number of guns that fall into the wrong hands every year by imposing commonsense measures to fight straw sales and black market purchases. States that have implemented similar policies have all come to the same conclusion: fewer illegal firearms circulating through communities reduces gun-related homicides. Similarly, H.B. 1152: Require the Safe Store of Firearms will work to prevent any irrational or ill-timed decisions that would lead to suicide or further violence. More importantly, this bill will work to minimize the mounting growth in firearm suicides among Black men and women.
Gun violence is an issue which requires a multitude of solutions. The persistence of socioeconomic and racial inequality is a contributing factor to our country’s level of gun violence and must be addressed. Our legislators and policymakers can confront racially concentrated gun violence through an investment in the revitalization, equity, and safety of Black and marginalized communities.