As if racial tensions aren’t already high in America at this time, the presence of 200-plus heavily-armed men and women dressed in black combat gear marching the streets of any city is not exactly reassuring.
Yet that has been the case in several cities across the United States since the death of George Floyd in May 2020, which sparked national outrage and protests against police brutality and racial injustice.
The sighting has been of a black nationalist paramilitary organisation, sometimes referred to as a ‘black militia’, that calls itself the ‘Not ******* Around Coalition’ (NFAC). The name seems to be a reflection of the attitudes that many African-Americans have now assumed in light of emboldened racists and their aggressive actions and speech towards blacks. The group’s armed yet peaceful presence in city streets suggests that not only are blacks fed up with such treatment, but they are also now arming themselves to fight back if necessary.
This show of power by the NFAC has been met with praise from the separate Black Lives Matter movement, but alarm from ordinary citizens that see it as dangerously provocative and unnecessary.
One pastor from America’s Bible-belt region, an area known for its strong support of the Second Amendment, criticised the NFAC: ‘They are carrying around guns for the sake of it, not for protection.’
Others point out that when far-right militia groups like The Three Percenters counter NFAC protests with their own weaponry, the same is touted as patriotic and necessary for property protection by many a conservative.
In spite of mixed reactions, one thing is clear: America remains on edge.
