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July 20, 2021

To Be Black and Own a Gun in Denver

City Cast Denver

To Be Black and Own a Gun in Denver

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These are boom times for gun sellers in Colorado, with more gun purchases reported in 2020 than in 2000, 2001 and 2002 combined, according to the Denver Post. Look a little closer at those numbers, and the story gets a little more complicated, especially for Black people in Denver. City Cast Denver guest host donnie l. betts sits down with Alton Clark, the founder of 5280 Steel, a local gun club that saw its membership double in the past year. Then, he takes a tour of 1770 Armory and Gun Club, a new virtual firing range that opened in Five Points last September, with one of its founders, Shawn McWilliams. They discuss their personal relationships with guns, the taboo of gun ownership in the Black community, and what they think is driving the recent boom in gun sales. 


To hear donnie’s production of The Knock-Kneed Man: The Story of Crispus Attucks Freedom Fighter, click here


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