Governor Kathy Hochul | Wikipedia
Governor Kathy Hochul | Wikipedia
Commission to Host First Public Meeting on June 13th at Stanley Makowski Early Childhood Center
Commission Launches Website, University at Buffalo Regional Institute to Develop Community Survey
Governor Kathy Hochul and Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown on May 9, 2023 announced the May 14th Memorial Commission will begin a public engagement campaign seeking the input of the community on siting and design of a future memorial. The Commission will hold its first public meeting on June 13, 2023, at the Stanley Makowski Early Childhood Center from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Commission also launched a website and is working with the University at Buffalo Regional Institute to develop a community survey where members of the community that are unable to attend public meetings can submit comments and also stay up-to-date on the workings of the Commission.
"As we approach the one-year anniversary of this horrific, racist act of terror, we are steadfast in our commitment to supporting the East Buffalo community and making sure we never forget our ten neighbors who were senselessly taken from us," Governor Hochul said. "This memorial will honor the lives and legacies of those we lost, but it will also be shared with the community and reflect its strength and resiliency, which is why engaging with the public is a crucial step forward."
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said, "The Buffalo community came together in exemplary ways to support and lift up the East Buffalo community after the senseless, racist murder of ten innocent people. The May 14th Memorial Commission is committed to remembering and honoring those we lost on that day. We will build a permanent memorial to reinforce our belief in the City of Good Neighbors that love will always triumph over hate."
The Commission was established in October 2022 by Governor Hochul and Mayor Brown in response to the mass shooting at a Tops Friendly Market on Jefferson Avenue. The May 14th Memorial Commission consists of eleven community volunteer members and Buffalo NAACP President Reverend Mark E. Blue serves as Chair.
Buffalo NAACP President and Chair of the May 14th Commission Reverend Mark E. Blue said, "This memorial not only honors the lives of those lost on May 14th, but also the resiliency and power of the East Buffalo community. As a Buffalo native, I have seen firsthand what public engagement campaigns can do to keep the community connected, help one another feel supported, and pay tribute to the lives lost and their families."
The Commission has been tasked with developing and implementing a plan to site and build a physical memorial in East Buffalo to memorialize the life and legacy of the ten Black residents of Buffalo who died in the white supremacist terror attack last year. The members will be assigned to a subcommittee that will meet separately and report back to the full body.
The Commission will focus on the following topics:
- Siting and Acquiring Land
- Community and Family Engagement Plans
- Architect Selection and Design Concepts
- Memorial Maintenance and Area Beautification
Following the May 14, 2022 white supremacist terror attack at Tops Friendly Markets, Governor Hochul announced the State would partner with the City of Buffalo to launch a Memorial Commission and make $50 million of targeted investments as part of the State's ongoing efforts to address the immediate needs of the community. New York State will continue to coordinate with city, county, philanthropic and business partners, and grassroots leaders to address long-term needs in the community.
Those lost during the May 14th mass shooting are Pearl Young, Ruth Whitfield, Margus D. Morrison, Andre Mackniel, Aaron Salter Jr., Geraldine Talley, Katherine Massey, Roberta A. Drury, Heyward Patterson, and Celestine Chaney.
Original source can be found here.
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