Original article from MurfreesboroVoice.com
Rutherford County, TN – Middle Tennessee Black Gun Club announced its launch in Middle Tennessee. MTBGC was founded in December 2020 by a consortium of local Black-owned businesses across multiple counties.
With the new permitless gun carry law in Tennessee taking effect July 1, MTBGC’s first priority is making sure that members of the Black community are prepared to navigate laws and policies that might affect them.
The new law means residents aged 21 and older can carry handguns, openly or concealed, without a permit. This also extends to military personnel who are 18 but under 21.
On May 26, 2021, Middle Tennessee Black Gun Club President Tanea McClean, and Sergeant at Arms, Denzel Caldwell weighed in on the new law on Nashville Public Radio.
Middle Tennessee Black Gun Club’s president, Tanea McClean owns Surreal Self Defense. McClean shares, “Our present urgent necessity is to educate the Black Community. We need easier access to education and training in firearm safety & survival. Black Rifle Clubs pose a long-standing tradition in our culture - Society has pegged the relationship of firearms and black culture with negative stereotypes such as images of ‘Black thugs' terrorizing neighborhoods.”
MTBGC’s Sergeant at Arms Denzel Caldwell, shares in the recent interview, “Even with gun control, it has very anti-Black implications. Because when we’re talking about gun control, we’re also talking about enforcement of those laws.” “And we’re also talking about the reality that those are disproportionately happening in Black communities.”
Middle Tennessee Black Gun Club members receive access to monthly group gun range days, which offers a variety of programming including gun safety training, gun law, and legislation education, target shooting, active shooter training, competition shooting, personal self-defense, martial arts, and more.
The Club’s Community Outreach program will offer free gun safety and gun law education for youth and adults across Middle Tennessee and is actively seeking community partners and venues to help support these events.
McClean continues, “MTBGC is here to tell a drastically different story. We will use the traditions of church folks, business owners, trendsetters, and leaders in the community to demonstrate responsible gun ownership and our commitment to the principle of self-defense as a fundamental right.”
Middle Tennessee Black Gun Club offers qualified applicants the opportunity to join at 4 different membership levels, making access affordable. Interested community members can learn more about Middle Tennessee Gun Club’s mission and vision, upcoming classes and events, ways to get involved, and how to become a member at www.MidTNBGC.com.