A fresh look at the intent of the Second Amendment

What if the Second Amendment isn’t really about guns at all?  

Historian Carol Anderson believes the right to bear arms was designed to keep Black people enslaved and powerless. Her new book, “The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America,” lays out the historical context for the Second Amendment’s passage. She builds the case that militias at the time of our country’s founding were primarily about protecting slavery, and that white supremacy is embedded into the bedrock of the right to bear arms.

Last week, host Kerri Miller talked about soaring gun sales and gun violence. This Monday, she added to the conversation by talking with Anderson about the racial threads woven through gun rights in America.

Guest:

• Carol Anderson is a professor of African American studies at Emory University and the author of many books. Her latest is “The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America.”

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.

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