RJ Young loved a woman. The woman loved her dad. Her dad loved guns. So RJ, who had spent his whole life staying away from guns, plunged headlong into the gun world.
He ended up building enough skill to become an NRA-certified pistol instructor. But he also grew to have deep reservations about the effects of gun culture in America — especially for people like him. He has turned those thoughts into a book called “Let It Bang: A Young Black Man’s Reluctant Odyssey Into Guns.”
Let's keep the conversation going. Who do you want to hear from next on the SouthBound podcast? Submit your idea in the box below. You can also send a tweet to @tommytomlinson or @wfae, and email me at ttomlinson@wfae.org.
_
Show notes:
- The Amazon page for "Let It Bang"
- RJ's YouTube channel -- 90 percent Oklahoma football, 9 percent other sports, 1 percent hilarious cameo from his mom in the promo
- An interview on PBS' "Amanpour & Co."
- The A$AP Ferg track that gave RJ his book title (language alert!)
- RJ's bio
- His Twitter page
- An interview with the New York Times
Other music in this episode:
- Blue Dot Sessions, "Greylock"
- Krackatoa, "Mariachi Bandits of Gatling Gun Ridge"
New episodes of SouthBound will come out every other week on Wednesday. Subscribe:
Apple Podcasts Google Play Stitcher NPR One
SouthBound is a production of WFAE. Our host is Tommy Tomlinson. Our producer is Nick de la Canal. Our audience engagement producer is Joni Deutsch, and our main theme comes from Josh Turner.