3. Robert F. Williams and ‘Negroes with Guns’
Robert F. Williams, a civil rights leader in Monroe, North Carolina, boldly challenged the era’s nonviolent approach. Through his leadership and his groundbreaking book, Negroes with Guns, Williams championed the right of Black Americans to defend themselves when the justice system failed them. His stance—and his writings—sparked heated debate and inspired later self-defense movements, arguing that self-protection was a fundamental right (via NPR).
