The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of RedState.com.

Black Americans have always loved guns. We still do, but we just don’t talk about it as much as in the past. But the black community has a long and storied history with the use of firearms, much of which has been long forgotten.

Gun rights activist and YouTuber Rhonda Mary seeks to change that. For this year’s Black History Month, she has published a series of short videos on her YouTube channel titled “28 Days of Black History Gun Facts,” to bring more awareness to the role African Americans have played in the promotion of the right to bear arms.

Even from the time of slavery, black Americans relied on the rifle to defend themselves against threats coming from racist agitators who sought to continue oppressing them. They used guns to push back against aggressions coming from white supremacist hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Indeed, these people feared the idea of blacks owning weapons so much that the first gun control laws were specifically intended to prevent black people from possessing the means by which they could protect themselves.

I conducted a special interview with Rhonda to find out more about this project and why it is necessary to highlight this often-overlooked part of American history.

During our conversation, Mary highlighted several of the figures she covers in her YouTube series and also explained how black organizations like the NAACP pulled back from promoting Second Amendment principles. This particular story probably won’t surprise you, but it is enlightening nonetheless.

Many high-profile black leaders in the past relied on guns to ward off would-be assailants. Despite his commitment to non-violence, even Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. owned firearms, along with people like Malcolm X who famously said “I don’t even call it violence when it’s in self-defense; I call it intelligence.”

Today, black Americans still understand the wisdom of being armed. Gun ownership rates have been on the rise in the black community for the past three years. Many, like myself, became first-time gun owners. Even though Democrats seek to disarm the public – especially in black communities, people still understand the importance of the Second Amendment and the reality that our safety is our responsibility. My conversation with Rhonda Mary was highly instructive and educational, and anyone who values gun rights should know about this history. Let me know what you think!