2021-06-03 11:04:27

“The Second”: Carol Anderson on the Racist Roots of the Constitutional Right to Bear Arms

Do African Americans have Second Amendment rights? That’s the question Emory University professor Carol Anderson set out to answer in her new book, “The Second,” which looks at the constitutional right to bear arms and its uneven application throughout U.S. history.

She says she was prompted to write the book after the 2016 police killing of Philando Castile, who was fatally shot during a traffic stop after he told the officer he had a legal firearm.

Anderson says the Second Amendment was always intended to be a means of arming white people to control the Black population.

“There was this massive fear about these slave revolts, Black people demanding their freedom, being willing to have an uprising to gain their freedom,” says Anderson.

“What I saw was that it wasn’t about guns. It was about the fear of Black people.”

Democracy Now! produces a daily, global, independent news hour hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González. lOur reporting includes breaking daily news headlines and in-depth interviews with people on the front lines of the world’s most pressing issues. 

On DN!, you’ll hear a diversity of voices speaking for themselves, providing a unique and sometimes provocative perspective on global events.

Missed an episode?  Check out DN on FSTV VOD anytime or visit the show page for the latest clips.

#FreeSpeechTV is one of the last standing national, independent news networks committed to advancing progressive social change. 

#FSTV is available on Dish, DirectTV, AppleTV, Roku, Sling, and online at freespeech.org.

Amy Goodman Black Americans Carol Anderson Democracy Now! Emory University Firearms Free Speech TV Genocide Philando Castile Racism Constitutional Right Second Amendment Second Amendment Rights The Second U.S. History

Human Rights and Equality

FSTV Speaks

The Fight for Civil Rights Isn’t Over | FSTV SPEAKS

The Fight for Civil Rights Isn’t Over | FSTV SPEAKS

KICK OUT THE CLOWNS - Watch on VOD Soon!

KICK OUT THE CLOWNS - Watch on VOD Soon!

How The Pink Tax Affects You! | Generation Girl Code

How The Pink Tax Affects You! | Generation Girl Code

Don’t Shop There: Hit Back Where It Hurts—Their Profits

Don’t Shop There: Hit Back Where It Hurts—Their Profits

Related

This Week In White Supremacy- Presented by 1HoodMedia

No Kings Just Clowns | This Week In White Supremacy

No Kings Just Clowns | This Week In White Supremacy

From FSTV - THANK YOU!

From FSTV - THANK YOU!

KICK OUT THE CLOWNS - Watch on VOD Soon!

KICK OUT THE CLOWNS - Watch on VOD Soon!

Match Day! Support People-Powered Media | Rick Smith

Match Day! Support People-Powered Media | Rick Smith

Proud Partners