Shades of Impact: Addressing Gun Violence in Black Communities Barbara Clark

Oil Painting on canvas 24” x 37” 2024

 The artwork portrays a large African American woman portrait as the focus of the painting with a grayscale cityscape in the background. In the foreground, ghostly figures of diverse individuals from Black communities are depicted, their faces reflecting a mix of emotions, standing amidst shattered fragments that represent lost opportunities due to gun violence. The strong Black woman is advocating for change and represents hope, unity, and the ongoing fight for change. The theme of the painting is how Black communities are disproportionately hurt by gun violence but equally important, it is about Black pride, womanhood, and determination for change.

Mass shootings have become a common occurrence in the United States, but urban gun violence, suicide, and domestic violence contribute to gun-related deaths, and it is higher for African Americans. According to Brady United:

Black Americans are twice as likely as white Americans to die from gun violence and 14 times more likely than white Americans to be wounded. A documented 4,084 Black people were lynched in 73 years; 93,262 were shot dead in 14. Like lynching, gun violence is a racial justice issue” (2.).

Racial segregation is one of the strongest predictors of urban gun violence (1.) and is associated with poverty and inequality, and today many metropolitan cities are just as segregated as they were in the 60’s. Gun violence traumatizes entire communities and stigmatizes their suffering. Another factor is that “Black Americans are 2.5 times more likely than white Americans to be killed by police and constitute 31% of all police-involved fatalities” (2.). “There is also a homicide divide, black Americans are 10 times more likely than white Americans to die from gun homicide” (2.) due to poverty, unemployment, and structural impediments.

It is not being Black that increases the likelihood of gun violence it is historic and current racism that has ensured Black individuals are more vulnerable to the threat.

1. https://gunresponsibility.org/blog/gun-violence-in-the-black-community-myths-and-facts/

2. https://www.bradyunited.org/issue/gun-violence-is-a-racial-justice-issue