On May 14, an 18-year-old white supremacist shot 13 people, ages 20 to 86, in a supermarket in Buffalo, NY. Eleven of those shot were Black, and all 10 of those who died were Black. Those who died were Roberta A. Drury, 32; Margus D. Morrison, 52; Andre Mackniel, 53; Aaron Salter, 55; Geraldine Talley, 62; Celestine Chaney, 65; Heyward Patterson, 67; Katherine Massey, 72; Pearl Young, 77; and Ruth Whitfield, 86.
The killings were one more in a horrifying string of mass shootings – there have been more than 190 just this year so far – and once again these murders make clear that Americans must unite against white supremacy and put this ideology of hate and division in the garbage can of history where it belongs. We don’t need more talk from politicians – we have to demand that government act to bury white supremacy once and for all. Then we can take the next step: creating a democratic, peaceful society where everyone is treated equally, and where everyone has all they need to live a happy, fulfilled life.
Below are a few comments from people about the shootings, including some from Buffalo residents, either made to the media or posted online.
“So imagine the incredible fear that Black people have to constantly live in knowing that we could be killed at any moment — while shopping, while laying in our beds, while sitting in a car with your family — because you’re Black….I’m looking to see not just the Black community heal, but I would like everybody to heal because I think that white supremacy and racism is a sickness. And people need to be healed from that.” – lifelong Buffalo resident Kelly Diane Galloway, to NPR May 18
“As a poet, I see my role as a way to bridge the gap between what we know and what we need. So we know that racism exists. We know white supremacists are real. We know that we have been targeted. Now we need change….We need you [referring to her white friends] to talk. We need you to stop sitting around the dinner table acting like everything’s great because it’s not. Just because you aren’t experiencing it doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Your role in this is to help change the system….What we’re not going to do, is pretend like Buffalo, New York is not one of the most racially segregated cities in the entire country. The city was designed this way and no one did anything to protect us from it…. Contractors and developers are continuously getting rich off of our communities while we are getting poorer. There has been no economic or social advancement for Black people on the east side of Buffalo in over 20 years. Let’s talk about it!…” – Jillian Hanesworth, poet laureate of Buffalo, May 17 to NPR and May 15 on Twitter
“The leaders of this country, from the elected officials and police of Buffalo, to the elected officials of New York, to the House, the Senate, and the White House want us to believe, year after year, attack after attack, that they ACTUALLY care about white supremacy. But they don’t care. They don’t.
“To Joe Biden, Governor Kathy Hochul, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, & Chuck Schumer if you ACTUALLY care about interrupting and stopping white supremacist attacks…
“SHOW US IN YOUR BUDGET.
“SHOW US YOUR PLAN.
“SHOW US YOUR STAFF.
“Show us the budget, the plan, and the staff you’ve recruited and hired to take this problem seriously. Otherwise, WE DON’T BELIEVE YOU.” – activist Shaun King, on grassrootslaw.org
