Christian K. Lee

African Americans in the United States are often portrayed negatively with guns, the goal of this project is to create a positive archive of imagery that counteracts that message.

History shows us when African Americans assert their 2nd Amendment rights they are infringed upon. In 1967 the Mulford Act was introduced. It was a California bill that targeted members of the Black Panthers who were exercising their rights to open carry. In order to fully be an American in my eyes I feel a deep passion to exercise all of the rights granted to me as a citizen of the United States including my Second Amendment rights. Especially since my ancestors were not allowed the same freedoms I am today. It is my goal that this archive will display the more positive side to Black gun ownership those who use these weapons for sport, hobby and protection.

Black men in my hometown of Chicago and in the rest of the country are associated with gangs and criminality, and guns are deemed dangerous in their hands. At home however I saw a positive, responsible side of firearms ownership: My father was an Army veteran and a police officer. I became a gun owner myself — one of the 24 percent of African Americans who report owning guns, according to Pew Research Center.

Website http://www.christianklee.com