Gun Researchers Form 'Black and Brown Collective'

An informal networking effort by one prominent gun-violence researcher has turned into a new group backed by philanthropic and academic resources, according to Arnold Ventures. The Black and Brown Collective: Centering Community Solutions to Gun Violence, now two dozen strong, held a soft-launch organizational meeting in July and has its sights set on supporting research into solutions to community gun violence led by scholars of color. The planning is being funded by Arnold, the Joyce Foundation, the California Wellness Foundation and the University of California, Davis, which is home to Shani Buggs, who sparked the formation of the group. She now shares co-chair duties with Joseph Richardson, at the University of Maryland. “There was a strong desire among these scholars to join forces and elevate visibility and opportunities for Black and brown scholars for their meticulous research and expertise to be acknowledged and valued in the same way that white researchers have been centered in conversations about gun violence in Black and brown communities,” Buggs said.