BUFFALO, N.Y. — Gov. Kathy Hochul returned to Buffalo on Saturday and marched alongside city and state officials in the 49th annual Juneteenth Parade.
She addressed the May 14 mass shooting, the resilience of Buffalo's East Side, and the importance of moving forward while never forgetting the sacrifices made in the past.
"Let's keep pushing forward, to make sure that we honor their stories, their struggles, their sacrifices, and the resiliency of a people who find themselves here today after suffering incalculable loss two years ago," Hochul said before the parade.
The state has named nine members to a reparations committee to study the impact of slavery on Black New Yorkers. Slavery was abolished in the state nearly 200 years ago.
The latest state budget earmarks $5 million for the panel to complete its task.