In the 1960s white Americans witnessed what they thought was a change in the way Black Americans approached Civil Rights. They thought they were seeing the end of “non-violent” resistance to white supremacy. And they were terrified. Why?
Because Black Panthers and other Black organizations were openly carrying guns and encouraging other Black citizens to do so. Bothered and bewildered, white politicians created gun control laws that targeted Black communities. Or so they thought.
The “Saturday Night Special” is a pejorative term for a small, inexpensive, handgun that was often used for petty crimes. The guns were then thrown away or destroyed. The politicians thought they were preventing Black gun ownership through the Gun Control Act of 1968 and the Mulford Act, and making these guns illegal or hard to get.
But there was one problem.
Many Black people, including MLK himself, had always carried handguns – NOT Saturday Night Specials – to keep themselves safe, even though they were part of the so-called non-violent movement!
The plan to control Black people’s access to guns failed.
White supremacy has always tried to make it taboo for us to fight back. This includes everything from education to gun control. In the end, we must remember that we have the right to defend ourselves and continue to fight for our liberation!