The history of African-American using firearms for self-defense is well known to the scholars of the issue.
I recommend The Deacons for Defense: Armed Resistance and the Civil Rights Movement [Paperback]
Lance Hill (Author)
and a video based on it.
Entering Deacons for Defense in Google Scholar will bring up tons of related literature.
Also enter Shannon King and Ready to Shoot for a good historical article on Black Self Defense.