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Maj Toure: Educate 'Americans in the most vulnerable areas' to 'exercise their Second Amendment rights'
Maj Toure is an activist, politician, hip-hop artist, and the head of Black Guns Matter. He’s heavily involved in work on Second Amendment issues and responsible gun ownership. He has spoken at the Conservative Political Action Conference, preached a pro-gun message in radio and magazine interviews, and ran for Philadelphia City Council on the Libertarian ticket. He’s also released several rap albums.
At this year’s FreedomFest in Las Vegas, Toure participated in a roundtable with presidential candidate Cornel West, and 2022 New York gubernatorial candidate Larry Sharpe, on the future of freedom. Toure wore a T-shirt with the slogan, “All gun control is racist.”
Larry Sharpe, left, Cornel West, and Maj Toure at FreedomFest (Fox News)
Prior to the event, Toure sat down with Fox News Digital to discuss his libertarian philosophy, the importance of Second Amendment rights in contemporary society and urban communities, and the importance of 19th century reformer and abolitionist Frederick Douglass today.
BIDEN DOJ’S GUN LAW BLUEPRINT WILL IMPACT ABILITY TO DEFEND YOURSELF: GUN RIGHTS GROUPS
Toure said he believes that Americans in urban areas, who are most vulnerable to problems like crime, have not been properly educated about the Second Amendment.
“The Department of Education informs people very little about their human rights to defend life as codified in the Constitution, or the Bill of Rights as the Second Amendment. There is an ongoing attempt to make sure that Americans in the most vulnerable areas do not exercise their Second Amendment rights in a safe and responsible way. So there should be no need for Black Guns Matter,” Toure said. “We should be obsolete. If America was actually doing the thing that it’s founded on, the people having the right to keep and bear arms without restriction from government, there would not be a Black Guns Matter. But the reality is they are. And there’s…over 20,000 unconstitutional statutes that are in direct violation of the people’s right to keep and bear arms. So we just go to the areas where the people are misinformed the most about it and…are empowering [people] through that information.”
Toure said he has seen firsthand the way that the two major political parties, and big city machines conspire to keep third party candidates off the ballot.
“The massive level…of red tape and bureaucratic foolishness associated with someone running is wild. The fact that I needed more signatures to get on the ballot as a third party, as a Libertarian, than a Democrat or a Republican is insane to me,” he said.
He’s also critical of the job that Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker is doing.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker signed an executive order declaring a public safety emergency on Tuesday and directed police in the city to develop “comprehensive plans” that address crime throughout the city. (Philadelphia Mayor’s Office/X)
“I think the mayor of Philadelphia right now, is not really doing constitutional justice. So maybe…in a couple of years, maybe I’ll run for mayor or something like that,” Toure said.
Toure said that it’s fundamentally a misconception that the Black community in the U.S. leans left, but faults the Republican Party and conservative movements for a lack of outreach.
BLACK GUNS MATTER FOUNDER SAYS ONLY ‘ACCEPTABLE’ GUN CONTROL IS MORE ‘SAFE, RESPONSIBLE’ OWNERS SAVING LIVES
“Culturally, Black people tend to be more liberty-minded and/or conservative in their actions, right?…And historically, Black people definitely have had more of a conservative lean. But as it relates to the level of 90% voting Democrat in a lot of urban areas or Black cities, we can’t deny that that’s partly the fault of the other parties,” he said.
The Republican Party has a rich tradition as it relates to the Black community in America. I mean, Frederick Douglass, duh, right? They’re not telling that story. The libertarians are just now starting to have these conversations and do outreach in urban demographics. But the conversation about liberty and limited government and I have the right to defend what’s mine, and we don’t want criminals in our neighborhood: that’s not foreign to black communities.”
Toure added that while the Democratic Party undoubtedly has a larger footprint on the ground in urban communities, it is misleading the Black community.
“The Democrats just do a better job of doing outreach and lying to the people in those communities. And the Republicans and Libertarians just weren’t there. [The Republicans] had a good start and then it fizzled out. The Dixiecrats and the lily White conservative movement did a good job of securing the Black vote for the Democratic Party, and now they aren’t doing anything to actually fix that.”
While Toure is supportive of the anti-police brutality movement that emerged in the wake of Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014, he has been critical of the Black Lives Matter leadership, and notes that others in the Black community, such as Missouri activist Darren Seals, were also suspicious for a variety of reasons.
A Black Lives Matter flag is displayed during a demonstration in Los Angeles. (Stanton Sharpe/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“This movement [BLM] started and came out of the Ferguson movement, after Michael Brown was killed…people were active about ending qualified immunity because it almost felt like you couldn’t get through a week without a Black man being murdered by law enforcement…That Ferguson movement morphed into the Black Lives Matter movement and leadership…The late, great Darren Seals said, ‘I don’t know about those Black Lives Matter people. That’s not the Ferguson movement,’” Toure said. “Google gave [BLM] a check for $500,000, so forth and so on. So when you’re talking about the corporate structure, that’s a little bit different than the movement.”
Toure said he supports grassroots activism within the Black community in the context of the Black Lives Matter movement, but believes that the national movement has lost its way.
“When that narrative or the organization or the movement is hijacked…my critique is of the leadership of that hijacked movement, not the overall theme that this thing was created for. So when I say, ‘hey, you guys are painting the word Black Lives Matter on things as a symbol that is not substance.’…I am saying that you are just doing empty symbolism with no legislation…How about we start [talking about] the Gun Control Act of 1968? How about we start with the massive levels of redlining that have impacted property values? [How about we] remove gun control, gun free zones? That doesn’t help people getting murdered in gun-free zones, right?” he said. “What’s wrong with it is when leadership co-opts a movement and presents it as if it’s one thing intended to solve a problem, and it’s empty gestures and virtue signals that do nothing to repeal legislation or economic policies that have been detrimental to those same communities. That’s what’s wrong.”
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Boston Celtics
“The respect for Joe Mazzulla, the way he might see that roster … I think it’s worth watching.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s trade rumors seem to evolve weekly, but two teams have been linked to the former NBA champion and league MVP more than any others: the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.
Since trade rumors initially picked up early in the offseason, it’s believed that Antetokounmpo’s preferred trade destination is a title contender in the Eastern Conference. Outside of the obvious Knicks, who are up 2-0 in the NBA Finals, there are a handful of teams that fit that bill: Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Orlando could be considered in that tier of Eastern Conference teams.
However, most teams that have the assets to trade for Antetokounmpo would need to gut the better parts of their lineup in order to make a legal trade happen, and that would make them less likely to be contenders.
That’s the advantage Boston seemingly possesses over just about every other team Antetokounmpo would be willing to play for: its roster would not be depleted in the process of acquiring the ‘Greek Freak’.
Speaking on the Dan Patrick Show, The Athletic’s Sam Amick said the rumors of Antetokounmpo to the Celtics have some serious traction, at least on Antetokounmpo’s end.
“Miami is the loudest noise, you continue to hear that … yes, it appears everybody you talk to says Miami at the deadline had a deal that was close,” Amick said. “So the noise is tied to Miami, but there’s also some understanding that Giannis has questions about what that Miami roster would look like on the other side of the deal.
“I think the Celtics are a pretty intriguing option in terms of being competitive,” Amick added. “This is something we’ve heard from Giannis’s side that the intrigue is real. The respect for Joe Mazzulla, the way that he might see that roster. Do I think it changes things? I don’t know yet. But I think it’s worth watching.”
The seemingly obvious piece for Boston to send back, whether to the Bucks or a third involved team, is Jaylen Brown. Brown has a similar contract to Antetokounmpo’s, and is a quality enough player that he could be the only player the Celtics trade away in the deal, giving them plenty of runway to compete for a championship in the aftermath.
So, from a salary cap-balancing perspective, the trade could be done easily. But Boston will have other factors to consider. Does the fit with Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum together make sense and will it lead to a better title shot? And, even if Brad Stevens thinks it is, does it make sense to trade away your longest tenured player who has already proven he can win a championship alongside Tatum.
Brown’s name has been dangled in a few different rumored trade scenarios over the last few offseasons, but no other occasion has had this much traction behind it.
And for the Bucks, trading Antetokounmpo appears to be a near-certainty at this juncture.
“It seems very likely … it’s not often you have an owner publicly framing the timeline, and that’s what Jimmy Haslem did. We just saw Jimmy Haslem do a blockbuster trade with Myles Garrett in the NFL, showing he’s certainly ready to pull that trigger if he needs to. I do expect it to happen.”
So the Heat and Celtics, who have built quite a fierce rivalry in the 21st century, and especially with their recent playoff clashes, will be pitted against each other once more. This time, Antetokounmpo is up for grabs.
Stevens entered the offseason saying he’d do everything in his power to make Boston a more competitive team and bring them another championship. He also said he’d take a dunk over a 3-pointer on every possession if he could. If he lands Antetokounmpo, he just might get both his wishes.
PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY
From warm maple and mossy green finishes on its cabinetry to the brass plumbing fixtures on the sink, the kitchen of this Treesdale home in Adams Township is all about natural warmth and soft color.
It’s a space that architect Robert Gaskill of Gaskill Architecture, who spearheaded the renovation project, describes as timeless and collected.
“The classic cabinetry, use of natural stone, brass hardware and rich, warm maple wood tone has been relevant for decades and will continue to age beautifully,” Gaskill says. “Rather than leaning into trendy design elements, this kitchen design focuses on authenticity. The layered materials give this kitchen timeless character, which makes it feel as if it evolved over time rather than being tied to a specific moment.”
PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY
The kitchen’s ageless design led to it being named Best Renovated Kitchen in Pittsburgh Magazine’s Best of Design contest.
“I think the kitchen feels really cozy; it’s going to be a great place for people to gather,” says judge Katie Savakis, a project designer at Vocon’s Cleveland office. “This kitchen feels very Ralph Lauren, but in the best way.”
Judge Crystal Knapik, an architect and senior associate at CannonDesign in St. Louis, also praised the contrast in the materials.
“I like how they choose that mossy green to be the main character of the kitchen,” she says. “They balanced the dark tones with the bright white ceiling and the white marble on the island.”
Art Rectenwald purchased the home in 2022 and shares it with his wife, Irinia, and his daughter, Annabelle. (“Plus two dogs, two cats, ten chickens and five horses,” he adds.)
The kitchen renovation originally wasn’t part of an overall home addition, but as the project evolved, it became clear the existing builder-grade space wasn’t going to cut it. Rectenwald says that the previous kitchen was “bland and low quality,” but calls the updated space “cozy, beautiful and efficient.”
PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY
Irina Rectenwald is an architect specializing in environmental design, and her husband says her vision and research provided the primary inspiration for the space. Gaskill seconds this, adding that the selections were “heavily guided by the homeowners’ aesthetic preferences and style.”
The cabinetry pairs a warm maple finish on the range wall and island with a mossy green painted finish on the side elevations. The refrigerator is fully integrated within tall maple cabinetry, allowing it to blend seamlessly into the design. Two tiled towers also frame the range wall, introducing texture while creating niches for displaying personal objects.
“The tiled corner niches are my favorite,” Rectenwald says. “Our corners now display sculptures and artwork versus blenders and coffee makers.”
The homeowners add it feels good to know that their vision, and the hard work that went into bringing the space to life, is appreciated.
“The finished product is everything and more of what we hoped for,” Rectenwald says. “Every detail turned out how we envisioned or better.”
Vendors
Architectural Design: Gaskill Architecture
Interior Design: Gaskill Architecture
General Contractor: TK Construction
Cabinetry: Beahm and Son Ltd. Custom Cabinetry
Fixtures: Brizo
Countertops: Top It Off Granite
Tile: The Tile Shop
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