2016
Maj Toure
2016 founded Black Guns Matter
About Black Guns Matter
Black Guns Matter is an educational organization founded in 2016 by Maj Toure, an artist and activist from North Philadelphia, to teach firearm safety, gun laws and Second Amendment rights in Black and urban communities. Toure grew up around guns along Cecil B. Moore Avenue and has said that seeing careless gun handling among friends, and guidance from a Navy veteran stepfather, led him to seek formal training. The group launched its campaign in Philadelphia in spring 2016 with an event at a local gun training center, aiming both to change how armed Black men are perceived and to reach people who had never received responsible firearms instruction.
Black Guns Matter has held workshops in cities across the country covering firearm safety, federal and state gun laws, and conflict resolution. On September 26, 2019, Toure testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee at a hearing on urban gun violence, arguing that education and conflict resolution do more to reduce violence than new gun restrictions. That year he also publicly cancelled his NRA membership, saying the association was not doing enough for Black communities, and in 2021 he spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference. The organization connects today’s armed self-defense movement to a long history of Black Americans who relied on firearms for protection during the civil rights era.
Key Facts
- 2016: Maj Toure founds Black Guns Matter in Philadelphia
- May 2016: Campaign launch event at a Philadelphia gun training center draws regional media coverage
- September 26, 2019: Toure testifies before the House Judiciary Committee on urban gun violence
- 2019: Toure cancels his NRA membership over outreach to Black communities
- 2021: Toure speaks at CPAC
Sources
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