Frisco

Black Gun Owners Find Home at Frisco Gun Club Event

Started by employee Jordan Lyngle, the event has ballooned from just 30 to hundreds of people

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Without question, Jordan Lyngle knows her way around firearms.

Still, even as employee of Frisco Gun Club, with years of training and a background in law enforcement, carrying a gun doesn't come without risks.

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"If I'm exercising my right, and I walk into a building and people see me with a gun. Already, there's that little bit of a stigma," Lyngle said. "I go out, and they're like, 'Oh, are you going to shoot your gun sideways?' Or just that stigma of if it's a Black person with a gun, they're a thug. They're a gangster."

As a Black woman and a gun owner, she's heard it all and noticed a void.

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"Why can't we reach out to all the Black (License to Carry) instructors, Black self-defense instructors and put together an event?" Lyngle said.

This weekend, at the Frisco Gun Club, people will get to learn about firearm safety, handgun fundamentals and even what to do during a traffic stop.

"Being a Black gun owner is so different than any other race," Lyngle said.

The Pew Research Center says gun ownership is still largely white and male, with 36% of white people saying they own a gun, compared to about 24% of Black people.

But Lyle says she feels a shift.

What started as a planned event for roughly 30 people has ballooned to hundreds.

It's become a two-day event, including organizations like the Black Gun Owners Association, Lone Star Medics and Professor Griff from the iconic hip hop group Public Enemy, who is now a license to carry trainer.

Richard Griff, better known as Professor Griff, says he won't be here to talk about his music career. He'll be here with a purpose, he said.

"I think I have something to teach in my own kind of way," Griff said. "Safety, training, education and legal protection. We're going to do a deep dive into every aspect of that."

Lyngle says she hopes people leave the class feeling prepared and empowered.

And that's the start of breaking stigmas for Black gun owners.

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