The racist origins of US gun control laws can no longer be ignored. These laws were specifically designed to disarm slaves, freedmen, and African-Americans of the rights that were granted to them with the passage of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments. Unfortunately, despite these amendments’ provisions of African-American citizens’ rights to keep and bear arms, these individuals were subjected to unfair and violent acts as a result of discriminatory gun control laws.
For example, in Virginia in 1831, the Virginia Convention prohibited slaves and free people of color from owning guns. This was not a stand-alone law, as other states had similar regulations in place, such as Mississippi’s 1832 law which effectively nullified the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms. In Florida and Georgia, free blacks were denied the right to lawfully purchase or possess firearms, and in Alabama, the legislature even passed a law program preventing freedmen from owning or carrying firearms.
These laws were part of the larger push by southern states to restrict or prevent African-American citizens from enjoying their rights as citizens. By disarming them, it was easier for local governments to enforce and secure white supremacy. This was done through laws that disallowed African-Americans from voting, accessing public areas, and owning property. These acts of violence and discrimination only continued to grow in intensity, as even after emancipation white supremacists sought to maintain their power and control.
Moreover, during the Reconstruction era, reinstating the right to bear arms was still highly restricted even though it had been granted by the Constitution. For instance, the Jim Crow Laws that emerged during that time restricted African-American’s access to firearms, as well as those states’ overall systems of constitutional and legal segregation. This was done by enforcing taxes on African-Americans’ ownership of firearms and ammunition in order to create high financial barriers for them.
In short, the racist origins of US gun control laws are still felt today. These laws were originally created as a way to strip slaves, freedmen, and African-Americans of their rights to keep and bear arms in order to maintain white supremacy. Despite legislation like the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments that granted African-American citizens’ rights to keep and bear arms, these individuals were subject to unfair and violent acts as a result of discriminatory gun control laws. Thus, it is important that we work together to address these issues of racism in our justice system as we strive for equal rights for all people.
