It’s no secret that violent crime in Chicago has been spiraling out of control. So it should come as no surprise that citizens are taking self-protection into their own hands. One group in particular has been motivated to action: black women.
The Chicago Tribune reports that nearly 1,368 black women have received a concealed-carry permit in 2017 to date. That figure exceeds the 2016 total of 1,358 for the entire year. While black women still trail other groups, they are trending upward.
Vernetta Robinzine is just one example. She lives in the city’s Far South Side and has already had her house broken into once. “I just didn’t want to feel like a victim, or vulnerable,” she told the Tribune.
