The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America

In "The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America," Carol Anderson, a historian and New York Times bestselling author, explores the deeply entrenched racial biases embedded within the Second Amendment. Published on March 7, 2023, this book skillfully navigates the historical and ongoing struggle for African Americans to exercise their right to bear arms—a right consistently manipulated to undermine their power and safety. Anderson not only traces the legal and cultural frameworks that have barred African Americans from gun ownership but also connects these historical injustices to contemporary tragedies, exemplifying how the right to bear arms has often turned lethal for Black individuals like Philando Castile, Tamir Rice, and Alton Sterling. Suitable for adult education settings, "The Second" prompts a critical reexamination of racial and criminal justice by dissecting an element of American law that, while seemingly neutral, harbors a legacy of anti-Blackness. This thought-provoking study challenges readers to reconsider how laws are framed and who they are designed to protect.