SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Black Lives Matter Sacramento has been at the forefront of activism for the local black community.
Its founder, Tanya Faison, said it is important to educate the black community about resources they can use to protect themselves from potential attacks from white supremacists, or when they feel they cannot call the police for help.
“Over the past couple months, folks getting shot just because they are jogging and there’s a rise in white nationalism. So we need to be safe and we need to feel like we are safe,” Fasion said.
Black Lives Matter Sacramento posted a call to action on Facebook for people to donate money to send 10 black individuals to receive gun safety training.
“It’s going to firearm safety training. It’s going to teach you how to hold a gun, how to clean it, how to take it apart, how to be safe with it, what to not aim it at,” Faison explained.
Lawrence Dotson, who works at River City Gun Exchange in Sacramento, told ABC10 he has seen the increase locally of Blacks wanting to own guns for protection and for recreational use.
“Late March people started coming to the store and buying firearms and it’s still going on. It’s really big right now,” Dotson said.
Founder of California Firearm Safety Tresla Gilbreath said there has been a 75% increase of Black people who have come to the gun range to learn about gun safety since she opened for business in June.
“Both parties, men and women, are purchasing guns. However, the ones who are enrolling in the classes have been women,” Gilbreath said.
Continue the conversation with Monica on Facebook.