The state of Pennsylvania topped the list nationwide for most black homicide victims last year for the third time in four years, and student leaders say it's time to make a difference.
In a report complied by the Violence Policy Center (VPC) -- a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., focused on gun-related incidents -- Pennsylvania leads the nation in black deaths as a result of gun violence.
Kourtney Pulliam, president of Penn State's chapter of the NAACP, believes students need to share the education they receive at Penn State with their community at home.
Whether they take it on intentionally or unintentionally, there is a responsibility to motivate the people who may be affected by gun violence and help them to move past it, Pulliam (political science and sociology) said.
"Coming to a school like Penn State, we have high goals to come back and serve our community in some way, shape or form," she said.
VPC Executive Director Josh Sugarmann said the report is part of an effort to put a stronger focus on an issue that has been ignored for decades. Black homicides don't receive the attention they deserve, Sugarmann said.
"As a nation, we ignore gun violence unless something horrible happens," Sugarmann said. "That sharpens our focus for a brief period of time, then we go back to business as usual."
In 2007, there were 485 black homicide victims in the state, according to the report -- 36.36 per 100,000 deaths.
Nationwide, there were 7,387 black homicide victims, or 20.86 people per 100,000 victims, according to the report.
When the weapon could be identified, 82 percent of black victims were shot and killed with guns, according to the report. More than 70 percent were killed with handguns.
Sugarmann said he believes some of the problem in Pennsylvania can be attributed to the inability of cities to pass any local gun laws.
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have both expressed the desire to pass laws to curb gun violence but have been pre-empted by organizations like the National Rifle Association (NRA), Sugarmann said.
"Cities want to put tougher laws in place, but they're held hostage by the NRA and the gun industry," he said.
Gary Tuma, Gov. Ed Rendell's press secretary, said the state legislature has not had the appetite to address gun restriction recently.
However, the governor understands the impact of violent crimes from his time as the Philadelphia District Attorney and believes in the importance of education, something that cuts across race, Tuma said.
