Black gun groups thrive across South Florida in times of civil unrest

By Austen Erblat
South Florida Sun Sentinel |
Sep 06, 2020 at 3:53 PM Many Black gun owners have felt unrepresented, if not outright ignored, by the NRA and are joining and starting new organizations.Black gun owners are finding camaraderie in groups forming across South Florida — one-stop destinations that let them address gun issues, learn self-defense and plan ways to volunteer in the community.

They say these groups offer a strong alternative to the National Rifle Association, the politically powerful gun advocacy organization that has been engulfed in scandal in recent months. Feeling alienated by the NRA, they’re finding their own way to push gun rights locally.

The groups have become timely during a period of civil unrest, as protests are staged across the country over the high-profile killings of George Floyd and other Black people.

Gun ownership is not just about guns and bullets, “it’s a political statement,” says Travis Campbell, the president and founder of the Black Arms Gun Club of South Florida. The organization is based out of Miami but its members are from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, and the club meets at various shooting ranges in South Florida.

RELATED: Florida pushes to keep ex-cop Nouman Raja in prison for Corey Jones killing » Campbell — who grew up with firearms in his house, but is a relatively new shooter — formed the group to promote the Second Amendment, wanting Black Americans to be more open about their historical and current connection to guns and the need for armed self-defense.

“I didn’t want to just approach this idea from the standpoint of, ‘Yeah, we just come together and shoot guns,’” Campbell, 38, of Miami, said. “I really wanted to do something a little bit more.”

Members train toward improving marksmanship, fixing jammed guns and shooting under pressure from a variety of positions. They also practice first-aid techniques, such as administering CPR and using tourniquets.

The group, with 30 dues-paying members and several more joining, has an even number of men and women, ranging from people in their 20s to senior citizens, he said. It’s one of four local affiliate chapters of the National African American Gun Association in Florida.

Gun ownership doesn’t belong to any specific type of person: The door is wide open for Black women and members of the LGBT community who are intent on self-defense, says Danielle Campbell, 39, of Miami, the director of community relations and engagement for the Black Arms Gun Club.

Campbell, who has no relation to Travis Campbell, organizes events such as back-to-school supply drives for children in lower-income areas in Miami-Dade County.
“I recently had someone tell me that women only like guns and football to get attention from men and these are things that are ingrained in us for whatever reason, so we have to try to work to change that,” she said.“We’ve been so conditioned to think that we don’t have a place with firearms: ’It’s not for us, we shouldn’t be doing this, we shouldn’t be shooting.’ But we do have a responsibility. Not just to train ourselves with guns, we have a responsibility to train our bodies, because you have to be able to get to that gun.”
A firearm safety class is presented by instructors Ronald Sippio of the EDC Guy Academy, left, who is holding an orange dummy pistol, Kwaku James, of Taurean Strategies, center, and Randy Reddick. (Ronald Sippio/Courtesy)In addition to local branches of the National African American Gun Association, other organizations similarly are active in South Florida, including the Melanated Africans Defense Association, Socialist Rifle Association and Pink Pistols, which encourages firearms education in the LGBT community.

The Melanated Africans Defense Association began in Lauderdale Lakes right after the 2016 election in the wake of the Charleston church shooting and other hate crimes. The community organization, centered around teaching self-defense and safety, raises money to clear local school lunch debt. It also teaches hand-to-hand and firearm self-defense as well as guidance on dealing with various forms of abuse.

“It was started as an outcry for assistance because a lot of our community members were shaken up around that time and everyone was asking, ‘Who’s going to protect us?’” said Bre Shepard, 28, of Sunrise, the organization’s founder and director of operations. “So I took it upon myself to find trainers who look like us and talk like us — basically black and brown trainers — to help our people learn to be able to protect themselves, their own families and ultimately, their communities.”

Local groups’ members aim to fill a void they say has been left by the National Rifle Association, which has faced ongoing threats toward its political clout.
Bre Shepard, founder and director of operations of the Melanated Africans Defense Association, fires a rifle at a local gun range. (Bre Shepard/Courtesy)After a gunman shot and killed 17 students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine’s Day 2018, students and parents from Parkland took on the NRA by starting a long-standing campaign for gun control.
Gun owner and instructor Ronald Sippio Jr. photographed in Hollywood Florida on Thursday, September 3, 2020. (Mike Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel)Castile’s death resonated with Joshua Tennie, 27, of Lauderhill, who says he often deals with traffic stops, instances that are notched up to driving while Black. When he tells police about the gun he is legally carrying, they’ve drawn their guns but eventually let him go, he said. He wishes the NRA would denounce killings such as Castile’s.

“Their silence was deafening, and I know very well that that group does not have my best intentions at heart,” he said.

The NRA couldn’t be reached for comment despite requests for an interview.

Some Black gun owners say they’re still part of the NRA, but have mixed feelings about their membership. The NRA has work to do with regards to Black members and gun owners, said Ronald Sippio Jr., an NRA-certified firearms instructor with the EDC Guy Academy in Miami.
“I do feel that they’re not doing enough in the Black community,” Sippio, 39, of Miami, said. “I don’t think it’s an inclusive atmosphere when it pertains to the NRA. As a Black man, I’m forced to take what comes along with that feeling and just shove it aside.”
RELATED: Judge clears way for NRA challenge to gun law passed after Parkland shooting » Despite drawbacks, there are incentives for staying with the NRA in his profession. NRA-certified instructors are typically the ones who offer one of the common training courses for a concealed weapons license in Florida.

An NRA membership also brings benefits such as free attendance at some gun shows and discounts on firearms accessories as well as hotel and car rentals.
Gun owner and instructor Ronald Sippio Jr. practices his shot at a gun range in Hollywood Florida on Thursday, September 3, 2020. As NRA membership dues have declined, board members quit, its finances and political activity are under scrutiny and the NY Attorney General sued to dissolve the organization entirely, many Black gun owners have felt unrepresented, if not outright ignored, by the organization. (Mike Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel)Randy Reddick, of Reddick Firearms Training in Fort Lauderdale, is an NRA-certified firearm instructor. He’s both a member of the NRA and National African American Gun Association. He doesn’t see a need to leave one group to be part of another: It’s all about becoming well-versed with gun rights to figure out how to best protect yourself.

“What people fail to realize when they put gun laws and legislation in place, it isn’t for a specific demographic of people,” Reddick, 41, of Fort Lauderdale, said. “It’s up to you to understand them and how to benefit from the laws.”

 

Florida: House Passes Constitutional Carry

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Today, the House voted 76-32 to pass House Bill 543, the constitutional carry bill. It will now go to the Senate for further consideration. Please contact your state senator and ask them to SUPPORT HB 543.



House Bill 543, constitutional carry, strengthens the right to self-defense in Florida by recognizing the right of any law-abiding adult who is at least 21-years-old and legally eligible to obtain a carry permit, to carry a handgun without first having to obtain government permission. This ensures that citizens have their right to self-defense without red tape, delays, or fees. It does not change who is eligible to obtain a carry permit. It also does not affect previously issued permits, and allows citizens who still wish to obtain a permit in order to carry in other states recognizing Florida’s permits, to do so.

Your NRA would like to thank lead sponsor Representative Chuck Brannan for bringing this important legislation and Speaker Paul Renner for his exceptional leadership through the process.

Again, please contact your state senator and ask them to SUPPORT HB 543.



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