Armed Activists Take Black Lawmaker to Work

Rep. Sarah Anthony says she 'was pleased to receive the type of support'
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted May 9, 2020 1:00 PM CDT

Talk about an escort: Armed black activists walked a black lawmaker to work Wednesday in Michigan, the Guardian reports. Rep. Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) was accompanied by six people—some of them armed, one Hispanic—on her trip to the state Capitol building. "Being a black and brown female Democrat in the capitol now is a dangerous job," says Lynn. "This is an environment that Donald Trump has nurtured." The unusual escort came after Lynn started a Facebook live video in April of protesters against Michigan's "stay at home" orders. The crowd was armed and displayed symbols like nooses, confederate flags, and swastikas. "As an African American woman, I felt I might be more of a target with that particular group," Lynn said.

After saying she "got a little emotional about the crowd and some of the symbolism," Anthony said people around the country contacted her—including Michael Lynn Jr. of Lansing. Seems Lynn and the other escorts helped Anthony in part to counter the idea that Second Amendment rights are only for white people: "I think they were there to offer support to me but also go to the Capitol and see if they would be treated any differently," Anthony tells the Lansing State Journal. "I'm not a huge gun person, in full disclosure, but I was pleased to receive the type of support from these community members who said 'We've got your back.'" Anthony says she plans to huddle with lawmakers Monday and discuss a law to ban open-carry in the Capitol building, per NBC 8-Michigan. (More open carry states stories.)

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