Final answer:
The enactment of gun control laws in the late 1960s was indeed a response to the openly armed activities of the Black Panther Party, specifically in California with the Mulford Act. The rise in tensions and the Black Panthers' militancy contributed to a nationwide conversation about gun regulation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that gun control laws were enacted in reaction to the militant, gun-carrying Black Panthers in the late 1960s is true. Many states had no laws against openly carrying and displaying firearms until the Black Panther Party began using weapons in their demonstrations. In particular, their open carry of loaded firearms in public protests was a catalyst for the Mulford Act of 1967 in California, which was specifically designed to restrict the public carrying of loaded firearms, a direct response to the Black Panthers' activities.
Simultaneously, the broader context of the 1960s also saw federal gun control measures being tightened in response to other factors such as organized crime and the assassination of public figures. This period in American history saw heightened tensions surrounding the rights to bear arms, the definition of civil liberties, and race relations, setting the stage for future debates and legislation on gun control.