JOHNSTON, Iowa — Gun sales reached record highs last year, especially among African Americans.
According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, purchases by African Americans increased by 56% in 2020 compared to 2019.
Steven Pilate, the president of Col. Charles Young Gun Club, the Des Moines Metro chapter of the National African American Gun Association said increasing gun ownership among African Americans is a good thing because they are understanding their second amendment rights.
The club started in September of 2020.
"We can change the narrative of African American gun owners and the only way we can change that narrative is if we take control of it," Pilate said.
Part of the way he is changing the narrative is by being involved with NAAGA.
"NAAGA provides an atmosphere where we can come out we can feel comfortable among other gun owners and feel comfortable shooting our guns, talking about firearms, sharing information, getting training," Pilate said.
He noted Col. Charles Young Gun Club is also about educating new and existing gun owners about gun laws, their rights and how to handle different situations correctly.
One person who is a member of the 25-person group is Deeann Pilate, Steven Pilate's wife.
She said she did not become a gun owner until November of 2020.
"Before now I was totally against guns," she said. "I made my husband get rid of all the guns when we first got married about 21 years ago ... in my mind guns were violent."
But the thing that made her change her mind about owning a gun was the climate of the country in 2020, and the case of woman who said she was attacked by men in Des Moines last summer.
"I'm a Black woman of course and everyone does not [accept] Black people," Deeann said. "I travel by myself all the time. I'm 110 [pounds] wet. I'm not even five feet tall. I have to be able to protect myself. For that reason, I could easily see myself in that situation happening to me."
And Deeann said now that she owns a gun, she feels more secure.
"I'm secure in knowing that I'm capable of protecting myself," she said. "I'm secure in knowing that when my daughter and I are home by ourself I'm not afraid that someone's going to break down my door."
The local NAAGA chapter meets at CrossRoads Shooting Sports once a month, and is not solely for Blacks or African Americans. The president of the chapter said it's open to everyone.
He also hopes the chapter grows so they can help educate more people, and Deeann noted she thinks it's important for everybody to know more about guns.
"Everyone should know and feel secure about protecting themselves," she said. "It has no color, name on it, it has nothing to do with color. It's just in the Black family it's perceived if you have a gun, if you use a gun, you're doing bad things. No, you just want to feel protected and feel just as secure."