Cam Edwards

Chronicling the underappreciated black tradition of bearing arms for self-defense, this book presents an array of examples reaching back to the pre-Civil War era that demonstrate a willingness of African American men and women to use firearms when necessary to defend their families and communities. From Frederick Douglass's advice to keep "a good revolver" handy as defense against slave catchers to the armed self-protection of Monroe, North Carolina, blacks against the KKK chronicled in Robert Williams's Negroes with Guns, it is clear that owning firearms was commonplace in the black community. NicholasJohnson points out that this story has been submerged because it is hard to reconcile with the dominant narrative of nonviolence during the civil rights era. His book, however, resolves that tension by showing how the black tradition of arms maintained and demanded a critical distinction between private self-defense and political violence. Johnson also addresses the unavoidable issue of young black men with guns and the toll that gun violence takes on many in the inner city. He shows how complicated this issue is by highlighting the surprising diversity of views on gun ownership in the black community. In fact, recent Supreme Court affirmations of the right to bear arms resulted from cases led by black plaintiffs. Surprising and informative, this well-researched book strips away many stock assumptions of conventional wisdom on the issue of guns and the black freedom struggle.

""I Confess: The Truth About American Communism"" is a memoir written by Benjamin Gitlow, a former member of the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA). In this book, Gitlow provides an insider's perspective on the workings of the CPUSA during the early 20th century. He describes his own journey into the party, the tactics used by the party to recruit new members and influence public opinion, and the ways in which the party sought to undermine American democracy. Gitlow also discusses his eventual disillusionment with the party and his decision to leave it. Through his personal experiences, Gitlow sheds light on the dangers of communism and the importance of defending democratic values. This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the history of communism in the United States and its impact on American society and politics.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.