Civil rights scholar Charles E. Cobb, Jr. reveals how nonviolent activists and their allies kept the civil rights movement alive by bearing and, when necessary, using firearms. Whether patrolling their neighborhoods, garrisoning their homes, or firing back at attackers, these men and women were crucial to the movement's success, as were the weapons they carried. Drawing on his firsthand experiences in the Southern Freedom Movement and interviews with fellow participants, Cobb offers a controversial examination of the vital role guns have played in securing American liberties.

Includes new preface by author.

"I come to get my gun" -- "Over my head I see freedom in the air" -- "The day of camouflage is past" -- "Fighting for what we didn't have" -- "I wasn't being non nonviolent" -- Which cheek you gonna turn? -- Standing our ground -- "The King of Love is dead" -- Understanding history.