STAND YOUR GROUND A Black Feminist Reckoning with America's Gun Problem

Roxane Gay, a feminist Black woman, narrates her essay on coming to terms with America's gun culture and growing ownership of guns, especially by Black women. In a thought-provoking consideration of this divisive topic, Gay is deliberate in her approach. She talks about how she came to buy a gun for protection in the face of increasingly specific and detailed death threats. She traces the history of the Second Amendment to the Constitution, noting that in the past people owned muskets that were single-shot and cumbersome to load, unlike the automatic or semiautomatic weapons available today. Using concrete examples, Gay calmly but passionately analyzes the racial disparity in how "standing your ground" is interpreted. Gay is cogent and measured in both her words and delivery. J.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2024]