Historic places – Orme Genealogy and Consulting

Let’s talk about…

Black Women Gun owners

June 22, 2020June 27, 2020 S. CaruthersLeave a comment

I recently joined the NAAGA (National African-American Gun Association) amid the social climate of the summer of 2020. I was previously a member of the NRA during the Bush years. I dropped my membership after increasing concerns that the NRA was silent on many issues when it came to gun ownership rights for Black gun owners. I was pleasantly surprised to find this organization. African-American women make up 60% of the organizations membership which is an outstanding number. Throughout this article I collected some reasons why some of my Black Sisters own or carry a firearm_(Coolidge).

“I have a .380 but I do not have a CCW. I am working to get one so I do not carry often only when I am alone driving.”
Qzonna-Arlington, TX

So I was curious. What drives Black women to own and carry firearms? Am I one of a few Black women that own a gun? My initial gun purchase was to protect myself at home against a disgruntled employee I terminated. I took two classes to prepare myself but hadn’t touched them since 2009. In 2017 I bought my second firearm after being assaulted in Omaha by two white bigots. Probably the most scariest incident of my life. Membership to NAAGA spiked after Trump’s inauguration. The emboldeness of people to act on their bigoted views helped push those numbers. I’ve been following NAAGA’s social media pages for a few weeks and I am seeing some powerful beautiful Black women shooting, training and looking fierce while at the range! My newest She-ro is Tig Davis, founder of My Sister’s Keeper Defense, which empowers women though self defense.

“I carry and own a 9mm for protection and have a CCW”
Jackie J.

So who owns all the guns?

By 2017, 4 in 10 Americans say there is a firearm in their household. Broken down by race, 24% of African-Americans say they personally own a gun, compared with 36% of whites and 15% of Hispanics. A law barring the open carry of loaded firearms was passed in 1967 with the support of the NRA, after armed Black Panthers entered the California state capitol earlier that year to defend their constitutional right to bear arms. In fact, then Governor Ronald Reagan, commented that he saw “no reason why on the street today a citizen should be carrying loaded weapons.” The US has a history of supporting the 2nd amendment except in the case of Black folks. We need to change that narrative to one where it is not alarming or a threat to see a Black man or woman carrying a gun in public. I’m not interested in resurrecting the Black Panther tactics, but I am interested in exercising my rights to carry in public as a Black woman without fear of retribution.

“Everyday carry rotates between Springfield XDS 9mm, Kimber Crimson Carry Micro .380, S&W M&P 9mm, Springfield Hellcat 9mm or a Ruger LCP .380. I have a CCW and carry for travel long distances and for personal protection.”
Jacquelyn-Ohio

Three African-Americans carrying large rifles escorted Anthony across Capitol Avenue earlier this morning so she could safely attend committee meetings without fear of intimidation

When it comes to politics more Republicans own guns than Democrats. 95% of Republicans say the right to own guns is essential to their freedom as opposed to 29% of Democrats. We know the majority (80%) of African-Americans vote Democrat with racism and civil rights at the core of their beliefs. So why isn’t gun ownership part of that makeup? When it comes to civil rights, gun laws have been enacted to control a class of people, mainly Black and Indigenous Peoples.

Antebellum laws disabled Free Blacks from owning guns
Black Codes of post Civil War
Mulford Act 1967
1990 gun bans in public housing
Previous laws made by your local police requiring permits limits gun ownership in certain populations
Gun sweeps and “stop and frisk” laws targeted certain populations

All of these laws sought to prohibit Blacks from gun ownership to make them defenseless. The local police refused to give Martin Luther King Jr. a gun permit to protect himself even though it is a constitutional right. The Black Panthers knew and exercised their rights to open carry. So did the Deacons for Defense, a self defense group founded in Louisiana during the Civil Rights movement. Members knew they had a fundamental right to carry arms to protect their families and Civil Rights workers in 1964. I challenge every Black man and woman, to own a gun and at minimum if you are not comfortable, know how to use one if needed. I personally think we are progressive enough to not let this responsibility fall on our husbands and fathers. We can’t always have a Derrick Brown nearby. (You remember… the Black dude that protected the pregnant sista in the Walmart parking lot!) Umm hmm….

And most recently, a biracial woman named Althea Bernstein was targeted by a group of white men who threw lighter fluid on her and set her on fire while screaming a racial slur at her. She was alone with no protection.

“I carry a .380 handgun to protect myself and daughter from predators”
Tonya-Kansas City

Hate crimes are on the rise over the last 3 years and Black women are the target including myself. I have felt the pulse of my city and it no longer represents a welcoming place for women of color. The amount of anxiety that Black women are feeling is at an all time high. Even my own local Kansas City, KS police department has long time issues with police officers exerting their position to sexually assault poor Black women including former KCK resident Rosie McIntyre.

Look, Killer Mike is right. Black people should own guns. Black Women should own guns. Gun ownership is integral to securing our equality. Not just racial but gender. Gun ownership is also an integral part of a Black womans personal defense. Anyone that has been a victim of domestic violence should own a gun and learn how to protect themselves. Any woman that wants to protect their home or business should own a firearm. Ladies let’s get out of the mindset that gun ownership is not for us. Single Black women are the fastest growing demographic of gun ownership. Let’s continue the trend. Get informed and get trained locally by an expert before you buy. Find the right one for you and visit the range often.

For more information on training visit the training page at NAAGA.

*All quotes are from African-American Women who carry. Shout out to boss babe Jacquelyn who knows her stuff! 😉

See why NAAGA is the largest African-American gun group in the US. There is also the Black Gun Owners Association that is growing in membership too.

Cities of the Dead

July 30, 2019July 30, 2019 S. CaruthersLeave a comment

I spent this week in New Orleans, working a medical conference. I had a little time on my hands and went on a Cemetery tour. My tour guide Stella from Haunted History Tours was excellent! Not only knowledgable but enthusiastic and engaging. I learned a lot about all those spooky above ground. One of the first things you notice when arriving to New Orleans is the above ground tombs seen off I-10 in Metairie. The cemetery I visited was St. Louis Cemetery #1, one of the oldest and most famous built in 1789.

The Cemetery is one square block and is fenced in by high walls of brick, some of the portions are actually tombs itself. These walls serve as a multi-person final resting place, not necessarily a family tomb or Society.

2518933496_56abc0de5c_b — Wall vaults of multiple persons laid to rest

St. Louis Cemetery #1 is truly a little city. The monuments and tombs wind around in intricate pathways. Many burial sites are crumbled and falling apart. These generally do not have living family members that take care of the tombs. Those that are have a placard that reads “perpetual care” at the foot. These are tombs that have a trust that goes toward upkeep.

20190725_111928 — Crumbling burial site.

The above ground tombs come in a variety of designs. Some are flat and are only one small step above ground similar to copings or ledger tombs. Some are step tombs like the one below. Then, we have the ones that look like miniature houses.

Burying the dead in New Orleans proved to be a problem that the first European inhabitants faced. The city of New Orleans is below sea level. When European settlers put coffins under six feet of earth, they found that the water level would often rise above them. Since the coffins were filled with air. The water sometimes pushed them up through the earth which caused caskets and bodies to pop up in the most unexpected places. They attempted to solve this by drilling holes into the caskets and weighting them down with rocks however, this caused decayed rotten bodies to seep into the earth and added to the already putrid smell of the city. The solution was Wall Vaults or Oven Vaults.

Oven Vaults

Because of the sea level in New Orleans Vaults or “Oven Vaults” were approved by the Spanish Government. St. Louis Cemetery #1 was built when St. Peter’s Street cemetery ran out of room and is the first approved above ground cemetery in the city. The land was consecrated by the Catholic Church. It is important to note that everyone no matter their race were buried in St. Peter’s cemetery because Catholicism was the only religion allowed in the city in the early 1700’s.

20190725_112040 — Society oven vault with 20 openings. All ashes whether family or not get pushed to the cave that lies underneath the structure

Above- small oven vault in front and a larger “Society” Vault in the back. Most vaults were for generations of family members. If you didn’t have one established for you family, you could “buy” a spot in a society.

The shock of death

The vaults are called oven vaults because of the subtropical climate in New Orleans. Made of granite or marble once a body is encased it takes just a few months for a body to break down and basically cremate itself. After a year mostly bones are left. The surprise that I found was that once the bones are broken down, they are pushed to the back of the vault toward a chute. The debris falls through the chute in a caveau or “cave” underneath. This makes room for the next person that passes away. Each vault could house generations of family members, who’s ashes are then mixed together underneath. Most family tombs have the family name listed at the top and the names are listed on a plaque or ledger on the front in descending date of death. Once you run out of room on the plaque, it is moved and fastened to the side of the vault and a new one is affixed to the front. Most have a screw or bolt that can be removed for the next body.

20190725_115426 — Italian Benevolent Society Tomb built 1857

Famous People

Of course the main reason I went on the tour was to see if any creepy things would happen. No such luck! It was a pretty easy tour without event. Homer Plessey, is interred at St. Louis #1. He was a fair skinned Black Haitian whose parents fled from Haiti during the revolution. and of course the Voodoo Queen herself, Marie Laveau. If you are ever in the Big Easy, be sure to book some of the walking tours that take you through the French Quarter. You won’t be disappointed, especially if you have a great guide that really knows the city.

Henry Plessey

Marie Laveau

Strawberry Hill-A lesson in ethnic preservation

February 16, 2018September 22, 2018 S. CaruthersLeave a comment

Hunt for the Golden State Killer 8.55.20 PM

If you are from Wyandotte County, you undoubtedly have heard of Strawberry Hill. Settled by Baltic-Slavic immigrants, the area still serves as a reminder of how diverse KCK is. “The Strawberry Hill Ethnic Cultural Society was formed in 1988 to promote, sponsor and preserve the ethnic heritage prevalent in Kansas City, Kansas. The Strawberry Hill Museum and Cultural Center celebrates the many nationalities of Kansas City residents. Built in 1887, the the core building is an outstanding example of Victorian Queen Anne Style architecture and was home to the Cruise-Scroggs family for 32 years. In 1919, the mansion was opened by the Sisters of St. Francis of Christ the King, to care for children orphaned during the 1918 influenza pandemic. The orphanage, operated in connection with St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, closed in 1988 for conversion to the Strawberry Hill Ethnic Cultural Society”. The museum is closed for tours until March 3rd. Click here for more information