Last year, Grandmaster Jay, the leader of the Black militia called the Not F**kin’ Around Coalition (NFAC), caught the attention of prosecutors. Now, he faces almost 30 years in prison.
The size and popularity of the NFAC grew exponentially in 2020, as the country protested the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police officers.
Grandmaster Jay’s militia, a combination of women and men, marched through the streets of downtown Louisville, Kentucky in body armor with handguns, rifles and even AR-15s, reported USA Today.
The NFAC was marching to represent their commitment to protecting the lives of Black people from law enforcement and, in doing so, attracted experts on extremism and extremist organizations.
A year later, the NFAC returned to Louisville and listened to Grandmaster Jay speak about self-defense, Black nation-building and Black empowerment. The militia’s numbers had decreased dramatically, however.
The reason for the marked change was that after a second rally, Grandmaster Jay had been charged with impeding, assaulting or resisting officers while in possession of a firearm.
Federal prosecutors claim that he pointed a rifle at a group of officers performing rooftop surveillance. He now faces three to 27 years in prison if he is convicted.
While he waits for his trial, he has been ordered not to possess a firearm nor use social media.
Grandmaster Jay has said that he is merely another Black leader that earned the ire of the federal government.
“You put me back in the cave,” he said. “It was a methodology used to silence a very powerful voice in the world.”
His argument is based on empirical fact. White militia groups regularly assert their dominance in public spaces without the interference of law enforcement. This was most notably witnessed during the Capitol Riot.
Further, the number of law enforcement officials whose double life involves their membership in white militias is noteworthy.
Grandmaster Jay has said that the NFAC was birthed out of the increased racial aggression of the Trump administration and focused on self-defense. The ultimate goal is for Black people to have their own government.
Extremism experts agree, however, that NFAC has not risen to the level of far-right extremist groups such as the Oath Keepers.
Until his day in court, Grandmaster Jay had just one warning for the government.
“It would be intelligent for them not to ignore me.”
