The NAACP Conway Branch expressed concerns for gun violence during a press conference Wednesday, May 7, after a local teenager was killed in a shooting.
President of the Conway branch Rev. Dr. Kenneth E. Floyd Sr. and other members advocated for gun safety awareness and unity within the community at New Faith Temple Church near Horry Street.聽
The press conference comes after Loris High School basketball standout Ja鈥橬iya Richburg was shot and killed in a home on Horry Street on Tuesday, April 29. She was 18 years old with plans to play college basketball in the fall.
鈥淎 young woman with a promising life. A life cut down in a senseless act of violence. Our hearts are heavy at such a loss,鈥 Floyd said. 鈥淭he question we have to ask ourselves today is: what are we going to do about it? We can start by asking for more police presence in this area. It may not stop crimes, but it may deteriorate.鈥
The press conference also was held in anticipation of the busy summer season.
Floyd said it is important to have conversations with young people about the destruction guns can cause to families.
Vice president of NAACP Conway branch Cedric Blain-Spain said they are not against owning guns, but advocate for gun sense. He said parents should have conversations with their teenagers about gun safety, especially navigating open carry laws amid Memorial Day weekend and Bikefest.
Blain-Spain said he is also concerned with officers from other jurisdictions coming into the area in the current political climate.
鈥淲e have enough police and others out here that we don鈥檛 have to be the wild wild west. And what's going on in our homes, we need to police our own communities. We need to get back to where we are in charge of our homes. The NAACP civil rights organization, social justice, social action is here for you, but we need the community to step up and be a community again,鈥 Blain-Splain said. 鈥淲e have so much going on in the community, no one should have to live in their home and not feel safe."
He said regardless of open carry laws, people should take the concealed weapons permit course and parents should encourage their teenagers to take the course as well.
South Carolina lawmakers passed an open carry law in March 2024 that 鈥渁uthorizes individuals who are not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm, to legally possess a firearm openly or concealed without training and without a concealed weapons permit issued by SLED.鈥
Marvin Neal, the 3rd vice president of South Carolina State Conference NAACP, said there needs to be communication with state legislators to make sense of the laws passed.
鈥淚 have never understood, and I don鈥檛 think the majority of America understands, open carry laws. It seems as though open carry really opened the door for more killing to happen. In any state where there is open carry, there is a high concentrated death rate,鈥 he said.
The NAACP Conway Branch also advocated for a South Carolina hate crime law to be passed. South Carolina and Wyoming are the only states without a hate crime law.
A statewide measure has been introduced for nine consecutive years to no avail. However, municipalities, including Myrtle Beach and Conway, have passed their own versions of the law.
The Conway Chapter of NAACP was revived at the beginning of this year citing a cross burning in the Conway area at the end of 2023, the South Carolina state legislature鈥檚 repeated failure to pass a hate crime law, and the absence of local Black leadership.
The NAACP Conway Branch announced in January monthly meetings will be held the first Saturday of each month and the chapter welcomes members of all ages and races.
Those interested in joining the Conway branch can contact 843-902-4825 to sign up.
(2) comments
It seems as if just about most of the black male kids carry guns whether there's laws or not. They also have short fuses and it doesn't take much for them to use them or think about the consequences after they shoot them. Maybe they think that a prison sentence is a career choice?
"鈥淚 have never understood, and I don鈥檛 think the majority of America understands, open carry laws. It seems as though open carry really opened the door for more killing to happen. In any state where there is open carry, there is a high concentrated death rate,鈥 he said." Continues to repeat things from the anti-gun crowd but fails to cite any actual research from independent sources (Not Bloomberg paid shills like "Everytown for Gun Safety") Gun laws only affect law abiding citizens. Criminals don't follow laws. Disarming law abiding citizens doesn't make them safer.
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