Black gun owners are finding camaraderie in groups forming across South Florida — one-stop destinations that let them address gun issues, learn self-defense and plan ways to volunteer in the community.
They say these groups offer a strong alternative to the National Rifle Association, the politically powerful gun advocacy organization that has been engulfed in scandal in recent months. Feeling alienated by the NRA, they’re finding their own way to push gun rights locally.
The groups have become timely during a period of civil unrest, as protests are staged across the country over the high-profile killings of George Floyd and other Black people.
Gun ownership is not just about guns and bullets, “it’s a political statement,” says Travis Campbell, the president and founder of the Black Arms Gun Club of South Florida. The organization is based out of Miami but its members are from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, and the club meets at various shooting ranges in South Florida.