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Maj Toure

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Maj Toure
Toure at FreedomFest 2021
Born
Martin Anthony Jones

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupations
  • Political activist
  • Rapper
Known forFounding Black Guns Matter
Political partyIndependent (2019–present)
Libertarian (until 2019)[1]

Maj Toure (born Martin Anthony Jones)[2] is an American libertarian political activist and rapper. Toure is closely associated with the Mises Caucus wing of the American Libertarian Party.[3]

A native of North Philadelphia, Toure founded the educational nonprofit organization Black Guns Matter in 2016.[2][4] The organization advocates for the right to keep and bear arms, and promotes responsible ownership of firearms within African-American and urban communities.[4][5][6][7][8][9]

He has released three rap/hip hop recordings: Solutionary Vol. 1 (2005), Solutionary Vol. 2 (2014), and Solutionary Vol. 3 (2016).[10][11]

Toure was a candidate for an at-large seat in the Philadelphia City Council in the city's 2019 election. He ran as a Libertarian.[12] In addition to his support for Second Amendment rights, his stated political priorities included: criminal justice reform; ending the practice of solitary confinement; legalization of cannabis; improved education in Philadelphia; and conflict resolution training for disconnected youths.[12][13] On November 5, 2019, Toure finished 15th in a field of 17 candidates in the city's election, failing to secure a seat on the City Council. He received 5,676 votes (0.5% of the vote total).[14]

Toure spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February 2019.[2][15]

In a dialogue with Lawrence B. Jones in 2021, Toure applauded grassroots anti-racist protestors for emphasizing that black lives do in fact matter, while denouncing Black Lives Matter, Inc. as a "money laundering operation" that "fleeces the black community," with the goal of aiding Democratic politicians.[16]

Worldview and Influences

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Maj Toure’s activism is shaped by his belief in personal responsibility, self-defense, and individual liberty. He is influenced by historical figures such as Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, and Harriet Tubman, who fought against oppression and advocated for the empowerment of marginalized people. He also draws philosophical inspiration from thinkers like John Locke, Thomas Paine, and Thomas Jefferson, whose ideas on natural rights, limited government, and the protection of individual freedoms are central to Toure’s libertarian worldview.

Toure argues that modern gun control laws are a continuation of systemic racism, originally designed to disarm black Americans and limit their ability to defend themselves. He believes these laws disproportionately affect marginalized communities today by perpetuating disempowerment and government control. Toure’s focus on the Second Amendment and self-defense is not limited to racial issues, as he views gun ownership as essential for all citizens to resist government tyranny.

In a 2021 conversation with Lawrence B. Jones, Toure praised grassroots anti-racist protestors for their emphasis on the value of black lives but criticized Black Lives Matter, Inc. as a “money laundering operation” that exploits the black community for political gain, particularly benefiting Democratic politicians. He emphasizes that genuine empowerment comes through education, self-sufficiency, and constitutional rights, rather than reliance on political movements that, in his view, often fail to address the real needs of black Americans.[17]

Criminal history

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Toure has a criminal history. He is often charged under his alias "Maj Tourney."

On July 6, 2006, Toure was arrested for recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and harassment by subjecting others to physical contact. On November 17, 2006, he took a plea deal in order to get into the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program. He was sentenced to 20 hours of community service and anger management classes.[18]

On May 26, 2012, Toure was arrested for unlawful contact with a minor, statutory sexual assault, and corruption of a minor. All child molestation charges were subsequently dropped on November 7, 2012 and there was no conviction.[19]

On February 21, 2013, Toure was ejected from the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program when he violated the terms of his ARD arrangement by committing trademark counterfeiting, a first-degree misdemeanor. An undercover police officer witnessed him selling bootleg rap CDs on a commuter train and arrested him. He pleaded guilty on April 1, 2013 and was sentenced to 12 months of probation.[20]

Toure was arrested in Philadelphia on June 20, 2023 and was charged with carrying firearms in public in Philadelphia, a first-degree misdemeanor, and carrying firearms without a license, a third-degree felony. He was charged under the alias "Maj Tourney.".[21] The case was moved to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and Toure was convicted of both crimes on July 18, 2024[22] and sentenced on October 2, 2024 to 4 years probation.[23]

As a convicted felon, Toure is legally prohibited from owning, carrying, possessing, and handling firearms under Pennsylvania law[24] and US Federal law.[25]

Electoral history

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Philadelphia City Council Member At-Large, 2019 general election
Vote for 7
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Helen Gym 205,661 15.4
Democratic Isaiah Thomas 196,733 14.7
Democratic Derek S. Green 189,819 14.2
Democratic Katherine Gilmore Richardson 189,813 14.2
Democratic Allan Domb 186,665 13.9
Working Families Kendra Brooks 60,256 4.5
Republican David Oh 53,742 4.0
Republican Al Taubenberger 47,547 3.6
Working Families Nicolas O'Rourke 46,560 3.5
Republican Dan Tinney 46,270 3.5
Republican Bill Heeney 43,249 3.2
Republican Matt Wolfe 41,341 3.1
Independent Sherrie Cohen 9,116 0.7
Independent Joe Cox 8,880 0.7
Libertarian Maj Toure 6,179 0.5
Independent Steve Cherniavsky 3,480 0.4
Independent Clarc King 2,959 0.2
Write-in 745 nil
Total votes 1,339,015 100
Democratic hold
Democratic hold
Democratic hold
Democratic hold
Democratic hold
Working Families gain from Republican
Republican hold

References

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  1. ^ Brennan, Chris; Seidman, Andrew (15 November 2019). "Maj Toure exits the Libertarian Party in controversy after a failed bid for City Council". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Brennan, Chris; Seidman, Andrew (November 15, 2019). "Maj Toure exits the Libertarian Party in controversy after a failed bid for City Council". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  3. ^ Gillespie, Nick; Weissmueller, Zach (9 November 2022). "Maj Toure: Why Black Guns—and Libertarianism—Matter". reason.com. Reason. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Black guns matter: Weapons campaigner wants more access to guns". Daily Express. February 17, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  5. ^ Newhouse, Sam (May 20, 2016). "Rapper: Answer to bloodbath on Philly's streets – more guns". Metro. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  6. ^ Malagon, Elvia (May 17, 2018). "Black Guns Matter bringing gun rights workshop to Chicago's African-American community". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  7. ^ Kogan, Danielle (July 7, 2018). "March For Our Rights: Pro-Gun Activists Rally In 13 Cities Across U.S." Newsweek. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  8. ^ Manchester, Julia (March 1, 2019). "Black Guns Matter leader on conservative support for arming urban communities: 'Talk is cheap'". The Hill. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  9. ^ Miles, Tiya (March 9, 2019). "The Black Gun Owner Next Door". The New York Times. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  10. ^ "Maj Toure" Archived 2019-05-10 at the Wayback Machine, CDbaby.com.
  11. ^ Rupp, Jacqueline (October 12, 2016) "Under the Gun: Advocacy group aims to train blacks", Philadelphia Weekly. Retrieved May 10.
  12. ^ a b Shaheeli, Joe (May 10, 2019). "Libertarian Toure Hunts at-Large Seat". The Public Record. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  13. ^ Fink, Jenni (April 2, 2019). "After Nipsey Hussle's Death, Black Guns Matter Founder Pushes For Conflict Resolution Skills". Newsweek. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  14. ^ "2019 Pennsylvania general election results". WHYY. November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  15. ^ Schreckinger, Ben (March 1, 2019). "New CPAC stars: Black gun rights activists". Politico.
  16. ^ Toure, Maj (24 May 2021). "Black Guns Matter Founder Maj Toure: Black Lives Matter "Designed Specifically To Fleece The Black Community"" (Interview). Interviewed by Lawrence B. Jones.
  17. ^ Saves America, Dad (Sep 5, 2024). "Maj Toure: Why Every American Should Care About the 2nd Amendment". YouTube. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  18. ^ "Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Philadelphia Municipal Court Docket". Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System. November 17, 2006. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  19. ^ "Tariq Nasheed Tweet Showing Maj Toure Arrest Record". Twitter. Feb 3, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  20. ^ "Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Philadelphia Municipal Court Docket". Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System. April 1, 2013. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  21. ^ "Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Philadelphia Municipal Court Docket". Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System. June 20, 2023. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  22. ^ "Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Docket". Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System. July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  23. ^ "Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Philadelphia Municipal Court Docket". Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System Philadelphia Municipal Court Docket. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  24. ^ "Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Title 18 § 6105". Pennsylvania General Assembly Consolidated Statutes. September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  25. ^ "United States Code Title 18 § 922". United States House of Representatives. September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
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