White Response to Black Death

Abstract

In the United States, Blacks overwhelmingly bear the brunt of gun violence. While Blacks are more likely to favor gun restrictions than are Whites, the influence of Black gun death on Whites’ attitudes about gun control has not been investigated. We advance a theory to explain White response to Black firearm fatalities: Black gun death is explicitly and implicitly racialized in the public discourse and imagination. The roots of the gun control debate are themselves likewise racialized, and portrayals of Black gun death has the potential to tap latent racial biases among Whites. As a consequence, exposure to routinized Black gun death either fails to move White opinion, or moves Whites to greater support for gun rights. The influence of race on White public opinion is particularly concerning in an era when health officials consider gun death a public health crisis. First, we evaluate this theory with a regression discontinuity (RDD) analysis of the effects of a highly salient gun death of a young Black boy in Chicago on Whites’ opinions about gun control. Relative to White people interviewed before the death, White people interviewed after the death record greater opposition to gun control. Second, we fielded a survey experiment, exposing respondents to the reported gun homicide of either Black or White thirteen-year-old boys. Relative to a control, respondents in the Black death condition are unmoved, whereas respondents in the White death condition report greater levels of support for gun control. Implications are discussed.

Implicit Resentment and the Gun Policy Preferences of White Americans

“…This finding alone suggests that the contemporary attitudes of white Americans toward gun control are racialized (Walker, Collingwood, and Bunyasi 2020). These anti‐black attitudes, which derive from the dog whistle politics we see pushed by politicians and the media help to reinforce stereotypes associated with African Americans, such as how African Americans are deserving of violent victimization (i.e., the victim was on drugs or was a drug dealer, so they “reaped what they sowed”; Haney‐López 2014; Walker, Collingwood, and Bunyasi 2020). In fact, it has been suggested that these internalized beliefs may influence white Americans to want fewer restrictions on guns (Walker, Collingwood, and Bunyasi 2020).…”

“…These anti-black attitudes, which derive from the dog whistle politics we see pushed by politicians and the media help to reinforce stereotypes associated with African Americans, such as how African Americans are deserving of violent victimization (i.e., the victim was on drugs or was a drug dealer, so they "reaped what they sowed"; Haney-L opez 2014; Walker, Collingwood, and Bunyasi 2020). In fact, it has been suggested that these internalized beliefs may influence white Americans to want fewer restrictions on guns (Walker, Collingwood, and Bunyasi 2020). Moreover, some recent research has suggested that the term "gun control" functions as a dog whistle that motivates voters (Schutten et al 2022).…”

“…Overall, African Americans (75%) are more likely to favor stronger gun control measures in the United States (Redd 2021; Walker, Collingwood, and Bunyasi 2020). 1 Some scholars speculate that African Americans overwhelmingly favor gun control because of how intertwined white racial politics and guns have become.…”

“…But as mentioned, white Americans, by and large, oppose restricting gun rights. Due largely to internalized anti‐black attitudes, white Americans are less likely to support gun control (Walker, Collingwood, and Bunyasi 2020). This finding alone suggests that the contemporary attitudes of white Americans toward gun control are racialized (Walker, Collingwood, and Bunyasi 2020).…”

“…Due largely to internalized anti‐black attitudes, white Americans are less likely to support gun control (Walker, Collingwood, and Bunyasi 2020). This finding alone suggests that the contemporary attitudes of white Americans toward gun control are racialized (Walker, Collingwood, and Bunyasi 2020). These anti‐black attitudes, which derive from the dog whistle politics we see pushed by politicians and the media help to reinforce stereotypes associated with African Americans, such as how African Americans are deserving of violent victimization (i.e., the victim was on drugs or was a drug dealer, so they “reaped what they sowed”; Haney‐López 2014; Walker, Collingwood, and Bunyasi 2020).…”