Nay Gargano poses with her favorite gun, an AR-15 she calls “Purple Rain.” "I go to the range, and that’s one of my stress reliefs. I compete. Now, I’m adding hunting to the list. It’s more social and fun for me right now." July, 2021.

Jabari Hunt has been familiar with guns since he was a kid. "If you look in the media, you see the way white gun owners are portrayed. They may be hunters, they may be fishermen or generally outdoors, but it’s usually not a negative. However, a Black man has a gun in his hand, and he’s a thug, he’s robbing a bank, he’s up to no good. Sometimes, you don’t know when somebody is just legitimately fearful of guns, or just fearful of you having a gun." July, 2021.

Fifi Raymond, 36, got into shooting guns after seeing an ad on Facebook and taking a class. She was in an abusive relationship which she ended shortly after. Raymond has 36 guns in her large collection. "It just clicked in me that I knew that I could defend myself. I no longer had a fear that I was at the mercy of whoever was around me." August, 2021.

Jamarkus and Nyamekye Anderson pose for a portrait together, before shooting practice. Jamarkus says what happened to Philando Castile had a large impact on him and how he handles himself when he's pulled over. "I started a chapter of a group called Black Gun Owners and Education, and basically, we are all of the same mindset: There are far too few people of color out there that are knowledgeable, or certified." July, 2021.

Varonique and Shawn Sullivan have had negative encounters with people that threatened their safety. "Right now, I have this fanny pack. I hate fanny packs. But this particular fanny pack that I carry has a 9 mm and two magazines, and you think it’s a regular fanny pack. And that’s my sense of security," said Varonique. June, 2021.

Jamarkus Anderson shoots during an exercise drill.