Where I'm from, all of my friends (& myself) have either been directly affected by or know someone who was killed by gun violence. It is not a "flaw" fueled by "Black inadequacy." It's driven by a system designed to strip generations of people from opportunity & economic success.

Gun crimes will not be reduced by imposing firearm regulations on comm of color any more than prohibition prevented people from consuming alcohol. If we truly want to talk about reducing death rates, let's have a conversation about addressing systemic inequality & job creation.

Black men who participate in gun crimes were once young Black boys who were repeatedly told "they'd never make it out [of poverty]" unless they became rappers or professional athletes. We can't discuss guns in Black communities without also talking about disparities in education.

To survive in these communities that have been so under-resourced, overlooked, and belittled is one of the deepest acts of political warfare to exist. Growing up in the *hood* taught me everything I know about life: persistence is a tool of resistance. Keep going, no matter what.