A group called 'Black Guns Matter' is teaching Black Americans how to use firearms

Grief and rage swept the country after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in late May. His death renewed debate about racialized police violence and the disproportionate killing of Black Americans, who are up to four times likelier than white Americans to be killed by police.

That debate has typically centered on policing itself. But Maj Toure, the founder of Black Guns Matter, has taken another tack: Advocating for Black Americans to take up arms for self-defense.

While many argue that the way to prevent violence is to have fewer guns, he says the opposite.

"I believe that more Black people would be alive if they were armed," Toure told Business Insider Weekly.

"If you would like a free basic firearm safety class, you can get it right here," he told a group of passers-by, setting up a table with replica handguns. "The police, as we see, will leave. They will not come to save you. They will not save our businesses. So if you want that, I'll do that here. Anyone can come. It is completely free."

At his class, he demonstrated for crowds proper firearm technique, ran through attacker scenarios, and occasionally challenged the views of spectators who disagreed with his approach.

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