Colion Noir
Colion Noir | |
|---|---|
| Born | Collins Iyare Idehen Jr. November 27, 1983[1][2] |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Second Amendment rights activist |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Known for | Gun rights activism |
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Genre | Arms rights |
| Subscribers | 3.16 million |
| Views | 649 million |
| Last updated: Sept 27, 2024[needs update] | |
Collins Iyare Idehen Jr. (born November 27, 1983), better known as Colion Noir, is an American gun rights activist, YouTuber, and lawyer.
Early life
[edit]Collins Iyare Idehen, Jr. was born in Houston, Texas, to immigrants from Nigeria. His father is an executive chef and his mother is a registered nurse.[3] As an only child, he grew up in an apartment complex in the Alief neighborhood of Houston, Texas before eventually moving to Sugar Land with his mom.[3][2]
Idehen graduated from high school in Houston. He earned a political science degree from the University of Houston and in 2012, a J.D. degree from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University.[2][4] He first became interested in firearms while a law school student.[5][4] He interned at a small personal injury firm in Houston after law school.[5] As of 2025[update], Idehen is not eligible to practice in Texas due to non-payment of bar membership fees.[6]
NRA work and YouTube
[edit]In 2013, the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) recruited him to appear in NRA News videos.[7] Later that year, he appeared at its convention in Houston.[2][8] Since then, he has been described in The Guardian as the NRA's "most prominent black commentator" and in Houstonia as its "most visible black supporter."[5][4] Hennessy-Fiske, Molly (May 3, 2018). "NRATV's Colion Noir on black gun ownership, the Parkland students and why he finds the AR-15 'beautiful'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 29, 2025.</ref>
Idehen created the alias "Colion Noir" in 2011 when he began posting videos about guns to YouTube to avoid harassment towards his family.[5] As of September 2025[update], he has 3.16 million subscribers.[9]
Political views
[edit]He voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election, mainly over Second Amendment concerns.[10] In 2018, he considered himself "right of center."[3]
In 2016, Idehen criticized the decision in the case on the killing of Philando Castile, saying the acquittal of Yanez is "just wrong" and that "covert racism is a real thing."[4] At the same time, he disagreed with accusations of the NRA being a racist organization and blamed the mainstream media for promoting "conflict and division over race in America."[4] In response to the 2018 Parkland high school shooting, he disagreed with those advocating for stricter gun regulations, instead advocating for more good guys with guns.[10]
Criticism
[edit]Media Matters for America, a media watchdog organization, has accused Idehen of promoting misinformation regarding gun policy and engaging in misogynistic rhetoric towards female journalists.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ Colion Noir (April 9, 2020). Why I Fell In Love w/ This Rifle After Only 35 Rounds. YouTube.
- ^ a b c d Hennessy-Fiske, Molly (23 July 2013). "NRA's black commentator becomes Web sensation". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
- ^ a b c Grove, Lloyd (March 29, 2018). "For NRA TV'S Colion Noir, Happiness Is a Warm Gun". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Beckett, Lois (June 20, 2017). "Prominent black NRA defender criticizes ruling in Philando Castile case". The Guardian. Archived from the original on June 20, 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
- ^ a b c d Kelemen, Jasmina (April 24, 2018). "Meet the NRA's Most Visible Black Supporter, Colion Noir". Houstonia Magazine. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
- ^ "Find A Lawyer | Collins Iyare Idehen" (PDF). State Bar of Texas. Retrieved October 3, 2025.
- ^ Fox, Lauren (March 4, 2013). "NRA Recruits YouTube Gun Enthusiast for Minority Ad Campaign". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on March 5, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
- ^ Fuller, Jaime (May 15, 2014). "Which NRA member are you?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 5, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
- ^ "Colion Noir". YouTube. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
- ^ a b Hennessy-Fiske, Molly (May 3, 2018). "NRATV's Colion Noir on black gun ownership, the Parkland students and why he finds the AR-15 'beautiful'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
- ^ Hargis, Cydney (September 10, 2020). "After the collapse of NRATV, its former hosts bring misinformation to other right-wing media outlets". Media Matters for America. Retrieved September 29, 2025.