KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tuesday marked the third night of Kwanzaa and emphasized a critical value that makes the holiday special — Ujima. People who celebrate the holiday use the day to reflect on what collective work and collective responsibility mean and how those values help the community.
Protect Our People Tennessee (POP TENN) was formed with collective responsibility in mind, supporting Black communities through different fundraisers, events and classes. On Tuesday they hosted a class on gun safety after 2021 marked the deadliest year on record for gun-related deaths across Knoxville.
"Along with gun safety, you learn the laws and rules. And when you know the laws, then you're less likely to break the law," said one organizer. "It keeps people from getting hurt, and people from going into prison."
Tennessee allows most adults 21 years old and older to carry a gun without a permit. The new concealed carry law does not require additional training, but organizers said gun owners should know how to properly handle firearms.
POP TENN was formed in the days following several deadly shootings involving students at Austin-East Magnet High School. The group was made up of fathers and community members seeking to end the violence by putting boots on the ground, helping the community directly.
They held their gun safety class with The Bottom, a community organization that organizes events among Knoxville's Black community. It was named after an area called "The Bottom" in Knoxville, before urban renewal policies in the 1950s divided the city, cost Black families equity and wealth and upended Black-owned businesses.
POP TENN said they feel a duty to save lives across the community, and the event is one of the ways they hoped to do that.
"It's our responsibility to teach the community," they said. "We really feel like it's just really important that the children and the parents learn gun safety."
A member of the Boy Scouts of America also attended the gun safety class, offering free gun locks. These are used to prevent a gun from firing without the key to unlock it.
"With all the recent accidental gun deaths, I feel like they could have been prevented with a simple gun lock," they said.
POP TENN organizers said they plan to host more gun safety classes in 2022, and said people can check their Facebook page for updates.