I am going to be very real with you. Today is emotional for me, but in the NAAGA family you can be yourself. The National African American Gun Association is five years old today. I am very proud of us. This organization has grown beyond my wildest dreams into a surging firearms entity. When I think of NAAGA, I think pride, tactical excellence, forward-thinking, and pro-black.

This is the most unique organization in the firearms industry because it is based on a brotherhood and sisterhood and love for the African American community with no apologies. I love my community. I love being around strong black women and men who have pride, and I love seeing our youth realize their potential. To have a vibrant, stable, and safe community, you have to be able to defend it when necessary. So, let’s take a moment in this journey to talk for a moment about how I formed these thoughts.

My Roots in the Black Community

I want to start off very quickly to tell you a little about myself so that you will have some insight of how we got here today. It has been a journey–I was born in a little town called Vallejo, California. I was raised in an area of Vallejo referred to as the South Side–the rough part of town. It is where I learned my life lessons about being black. Our neighborhood was blue collar and in a lot of instances economically, it was “no collar”, but this was home. To me, it was the greatest place on earth to be raised.

I Started NAAGA with Three Goals

In 2015 when I started NAAGA, I wanted to accomplish three core goals:

1. I wanted to build a firearms organization based on best practices for tactical training, safety standards, and firearms education. In plain words, I wanted to produce black men and women who were solid in their core training with a firearm. I wanted the standards so high that when someone mentioned or discussed NAAGA members, all anyone could say is that NAAGA members on the gun range know their stuff.
2. I wanted every NAAGA member to quickly understand that he or she stands on the shoulders of our ancestors, and we proudly embrace that history.
3. I wanted to develop cultural and social pride for brotherhood and sisterhood. In a word, I wanted to build an organization where we could love each other. (That said, please know that we have unity, but we are not uniform.)

Here’s Where We Are After 5 Years

So, where is NAAGA today? We are thriving in every aspect of the organization. We are 30,000 strong with 85 chapters nationwide. We have over 50 international members in Ghana, Nigeria, Brazil, and France. We have members in every state in the USA, and they include active and retired police and military. As we prepare for our Inaugural Convention August 14-16, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia, we are just starting to advertise the organization proactively.

Where Do We Go From Here?

I shared about our origin and current status, but we need to have a conversation about where we are going. I think we are in a good place, but we have a lot to do and talk about as an organization. Do we want to stay as we are–just training and starting chapters? Do we want to develop a PAC (Political Action Committee)? Do we want to develop international chapters? These are all discussions that we need to have and get general consensus. One person cannot and should not make these decisions.

Our Greatest Obstacle

With all of our success, the great obstacle still remains in the minds of the people we are trying to reach. Many black citizens of the United States still struggle to believe that they have a right to own and carry firearms. There are others who believe that we should not own them at all. Let me ask you this. How many Africans were brought to this country, enslaved, and died without being able to even touch a gun? Now, reverse it, what would our history have been like if they had been able to defend themselves?

I love each and every person in this organization, even if I don’t know you. I still love you. That doesn’t mean we won’t argue or have differences. We will. It means that we agree to disagree, but not disconnect.

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”

– Frederick Douglass

God bless you, and God bless the National African American Gun Association.