--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: gun crime: it wasn’t equally distributed…" description: "\"“gun crime: it wasn’t equally distributed throughout black America. Rather, it was concentrated among the poorest blacks, who were forced into living c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/james-forman-jr-2-30625_black-america_gun-crime-it-wasn-t-equally-distributed_2998648.jpg" --- # gun crime: it wasn’t equally distributed throughout black… ![“gun crime: it wasn’t equally distributed throughout black America. Rather, it was concentrated among the poorest blacks, who were forced into living conditions that generated violence. Few” quote by James Forman Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/james-forman-jr-2-30625_black-america_gun-crime-it-wasn-t-equally-distributed_2998648.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/james-forman-jr-2-30625_black-america_gun-crime-it-wasn-t-equally-distributed_2998648.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/769/james-forman-jr-2-30625_black-america_gun-crime-it-wasn-t-equally-distributed_2998648.jpg) > ““gun crime: it wasn’t equally distributed throughout black America. Rather, it was concentrated among the poorest blacks, who were forced into living conditions that generated violence. Few”” [James Forman Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Violence clusters in impoverished Black communities due to systemic neglect and concentrated hardship. **In simple terms:** Poverty fuels crime in specific areas. Key Takeaway Address systemic inequality. Themes race poverty violence systemic injustice Mood concerned analytical Type policy academic When to use this quote - urban planning - community programs - law enforcement training Key Concepts sociology public policy Questions to Reflect On - What policies can reduce concentrated poverty? - How can communities be empowered? A Different Perspective Economic factors alone don’t explain all crime. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black america](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-america/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Gun crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gun-crime/) ## Related quotes > [As usual, the people who are poorest - the blacks, Hispanics and disabled people - are going to suffer more than anyone else under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/as-usual-the-people-who-are-poorest-the-blacks-hispanics-and-disabled/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [“...she was a junkie. But she wasn't locked up for a drug crime, so she wasn't getting any kind of treatment for her addictions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piper-kerman/she-was-a-junkie-but-she-wasn-t-locked-up-for-a-drug-crime-so-she/) [Piper Kerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piper-kerman/) > [“what she had come to understand... was that mourning was no crime. it wasn't her feeling all boo-hoo sorry for herself, or being disgustingly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-gregson/what-she-had-come-to-understand-was-that-mourning-was-no-crime-it/) [Julia Gregson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-gregson/) > [My great crime wasn't refusing to represent an innocent man; my great crime was imagining that there was some path to racial justice that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/my-great-crime-wasn-t-refusing-to-represent-an-innocent-man-my-great/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [Laws that forbid the carrying of arms . . . disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/laws-that-forbid-the-carrying-of-arms-disarm-only-those-who-are/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Understanding African American attitudes and actions on matters of crime and punishment requires that we pay careful attention to another topic that is often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr-2/understanding-african-american-attitudes-and-actions-on-matters-of/) [James Forman Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr-2/) > [If gun laws in fact worked, the sponsors of this type of legislation should have no difficulty drawing upon long lists of examples of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orrin-hatch/if-gun-laws-in-fact-worked-the-sponsors-of-this-type-of-legislation/) [Orrin Hatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orrin-hatch/) > [Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/laws-that-forbid-the-carrying-of-arms-disarm-only-those-who-are-2/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The ruling class doesn't care about public safety. Having made it very difficult for States and localities to police themselves, having left ordinary citizens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-wallop/the-ruling-class-doesn-t-care-about-public-safety-having-made-it-very/) [Malcolm Wallop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-wallop/) > [Under President (George W.) Bush, prosecution of gun crimes was 30 percent higher than it is under President Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/under-president-george-w-bush-prosecution-of-gun-crimes-was-30/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [I don't care about crime, I just want to get the guns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-metzenbaum/i-don-t-care-about-crime-i-just-want-to-get-the-guns/) [Howard Metzenbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-metzenbaum/) > [Nobody is denying we should investigate and do what we can to prevent gun crime in our cities and towns. But, we should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-barr/nobody-is-denying-we-should-investigate-and-do-what-we-can-to-prevent/) [Bob Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-barr/) > [The laws that forbid the carrying of arms...disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Can it be supposed that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesare-beccaria/the-laws-that-forbid-the-carrying-of-arms-disarm-only-those-who-are/) [Cesare Beccaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesare-beccaria/) > [According to the National Crime Survey administered by the Bureau of the Census and the National Institute of Justice, it was found that only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-kleck/according-to-the-national-crime-survey-administered-by-the-bureau-of/) [Gary Kleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-kleck/) > [As long as there are guns, the individual that wants a gun for a crime is going to have one and going to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/as-long-as-there-are-guns-the-individual-that-wants-a-gun-for-a-crime/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## More by James Forman Jr > [“As the tough-on-crime movement gathered force, those who had been arrested or convicted rarely participated in debates over criminal justice policy, in D.C. or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr-2/as-the-tough-on-crime-movement-gathered-force-those-who-had-been/) [James Forman Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr-2/) > [“As the historian David Krugler explains, “African Americans were not so much rioting as fighting back, counterattacking, repelling violence; above all, resisting.”79”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr-2/as-the-historian-david-krugler-explains-african-americans-were-not-so/) [James Forman Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr-2/) > [“But when they are carrying out investigatory or pretext stops, they are much more likely to stop black and other minority drivers: blacks are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr-2/but-when-they-are-carrying-out-investigatory-or-pretext-stops-they/) [James Forman Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr-2/) > [“Keeping blacks subjugated required that they be unarmed. Alabama’s law was typical: “Any freedman, mulatto, or free person of color in this state” was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr-2/keeping-blacks-subjugated-required-that-they-be-unarmed-alabama-s-law/) [James Forman Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr-2/) > [“During his first year in office, Congress did just that, passing legislation that changed the formulas governing eligibility and payouts for certain means-tested entitlements.7…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr-2/during-his-first-year-in-office-congress-did-just-that-passing/) [James Forman Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr-2/) > [“Fowler, Hines, and the rest of the city’s black clergymen claimed that the majority of D.C.’s citizens shared their opposition to Clarke’s bill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr-2/fowler-hines-and-the-rest-of-the-city-s-black-clergymen-claimed-that/) [James Forman Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr-2/) > [“Understanding African American attitudes and actions on matters of crime and punishment requires that we pay careful attention to another topic that is often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr-2/understanding-african-american-attitudes-and-actions-on-matters-of/) [James Forman Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr-2/) > [“by the year 2000, the lifetime risk of incarceration for black high school dropouts was ten times higher than it was for African Americans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr-2/by-the-year-2000-the-lifetime-risk-of-incarceration-for-black-high/) [James Forman Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr-2/) > [“No: it was blacks who killed marijuana decriminalization in D.C.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr-2/no-it-was-blacks-who-killed-marijuana-decriminalization-in-d-c/) [James Forman Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr-2/) > [“Most of all, the fight against crack helped to enshrine the notion that police must be warriors, aggressive and armored, working ghetto corners as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr-2/most-of-all-the-fight-against-crack-helped-to-enshrine-the-notion/) [James Forman Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr-2/) > [“But class divisions influence criminal justice debates in black communities in less obvious ways as well: they explain, for example, why black elected officials…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr-2/but-class-divisions-influence-criminal-justice-debates-in-black/) [James Forman Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr-2/) > [“(At PDS, we often lamented that there were never waiting lists for prison—just for alternatives to prison.) But”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr-2/at-pds-we-often-lamented-that-there-were-never-waiting-lists-for/) [James Forman Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr-2/) > [“Donald Trump, whose signature contribution to political debate had been his relentless propagation of the lie that Barack Obama is not an American citizen,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr-2/donald-trump-whose-signature-contribution-to-political-debate-had/) [James Forman Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr-2/) > [“The condescension was rooted in class. Those who fought for the hiring of black police occupied one stratum of black society; those who actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr-2/the-condescension-was-rooted-in-class-those-who-fought-for-the-hiring/) [James Forman Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr-2/) > [“One victim, Harrison F. Finley, was a World War II veteran and the father of two young children. He was shot to death in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-forman-jr-2/one-victim-harrison-f-finley-was-a-world-war-ii-veteran-and-the/) [James Forman Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr-2/) [Explore all 17 James Forman Jr quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-forman-jr-2/) ## More Black america quotes > [Most of black America is in housing projects, without jobs, living on welfare. And this is not the case in 'The Cosby Show,' because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-wilson/most-of-black-america-is-in-housing-projects-without-jobs-living-on/) [August Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-wilson/) > [Jeremiah Wright is one of the greatest prophetic preachers that black America has produced. 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And when I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kola-boof/i-was-adopted-my-black-americans-i-feel-that-i-m-a-hybrid-when-i-m/) [Kola Boof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kola-boof/) > [Audiences want great story telling; it's why white people watch my show 'Black in America.' It's why black people watch 'Latina in America.' All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soledad-o-brien/audiences-want-great-story-telling-it-s-why-white-people-watch-my/) [Soledad O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soledad-o-brien/) > [I think, something that you might be able to locate in the work that I'm creating today: the ability to look at a black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kehinde-wiley/i-think-something-that-you-might-be-able-to-locate-in-the-work-that-i/) [Kehinde Wiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kehinde-wiley/) > [Hip-hop is very diverse, but if you only focus on one aspect of it, then what you get is this image of Black America…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince/hip-hop-is-very-diverse-but-if-you-only-focus-on-one-aspect-of-it/) [Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince/) > [Black America now has the power to achieve economic inclusion, which we rightfully deserve because we built this country. This is a conversation that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-allen/black-america-now-has-the-power-to-achieve-economic-inclusion-which/) [Byron Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-allen/) > [There are huge divorces and divides and chasms in black America between the have-gots and the have-nots, between the monied and the poor, between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/there-are-huge-divorces-and-divides-and-chasms-in-black-america/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [The Black church is extremely important in Black America. 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