Is New Jersey Discriminating Against Minority Gun Owners? (Ft. Slate's Aymann Ismail)

Is New Jersey Discriminating Against Minority Gun Owners? (Ft. Slate's Aymann Ismail)

From The Weekly Reload Podcast by Stephen Gutowski

June 1, 2026 · 1h 2m

About this episode

The episode discusses racism in New Jersey's gun permitting process with guest Aymann Ismail, who shares his personal experiences and those of other minority gun owners.

This week, we're looking into reporting on racism in New Jersey's gun permitting process. That's why we're talking to Aymann Ismail of Slate Magazine, who both experienced issues with his own gun application and interviewed many other minorities in the same situation. He said a Newark permitting official had withdrawn his first gun purchase permit application against his will over an old trespassing misdemeanor that shouldn't have disqualified him. It wasn't until later that he found he wasn't alone in having trouble getting a license. One Ismail began talking to other minority gun owners in New Jersey he found out many of them had issues with the system. Whether it was long delays or outright denials for improper reasons, he said it was a recurring problem. Then he talked to an activist tracking the disparity between applicants who found there was a ten-to-one denial rate for black New Jersians compared to white ones, and that was for applicants without disqualifying records. Ismail also discussed how he personally went from growing up afraid of guns in Newark to taking range trips with his brother to finally buying a Sig Sauer pistol. He talked about why he often feels…

More episodes of The Weekly Reload Podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Weekly Reload Podcast podcast page.