▁writing ▁about ▁guns . ▁ ▁Biography ▁C ox ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁App leton ▁City ▁in ▁rural ▁western ▁Missouri . ▁His ▁grand father , ▁Joseph ▁A . ▁C ox , ▁had ▁been ▁born ▁into ▁sla very ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 5 ▁and ▁had ▁been ▁fre ed ▁around ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁E man cip ation ▁Pro clam ation . ▁Joseph ▁C ox ▁married ▁Maria ▁Müller , ▁a ▁white ▁imm igr ant ▁to ▁the ▁area ▁originally ▁from ▁German - spe aking ▁Switzerland . ▁The ▁pair ▁were ▁wed ▁in ▁Kansas ▁as ▁inter ra cial ▁mar ri ages ▁were ▁still ▁illegal ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Missouri ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁Don ▁C ox ' s ▁partial ▁mixed ▁ancest ry ▁would ▁influence ▁his ▁views ▁on ▁Race ▁later ▁in ▁life . ▁ ▁C ox ▁moved ▁to ▁San ▁Francisco ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 7 . ▁He ▁became ▁interested ▁in ▁political ▁action ▁by ▁following ▁the ▁events ▁of ▁the ▁Civil ▁Rights ▁Mov ement ▁during ▁the ▁next ▁several ▁years . ▁C ox ▁was ▁deeply ▁dist urbed ▁by ▁events ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁Street ▁Bapt ist ▁Church ▁bomb ing , ▁in ▁which ▁ 4 ▁little ▁black ▁girls ▁were ▁killed ▁and ▁a ▁further ▁ 2 2 ▁people ▁injured ▁in ▁an ▁act ▁of ▁White ▁Sup rem ac ist ▁terror ism ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁Ku ▁Kl ux ▁K lan . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁writ ings ▁of ▁W . E . B . ▁Du ▁Bo is ▁and ▁Herbert ▁A pt he ker , ▁introduced ▁to