BUFFALO, N.Y. — The New York Governor's Office and Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown announced Tuesday the public campaign for the May 14th Memorial Commission.
The commission was created last fall in response to the May 14 mass shooting at a Tops grocery store on Jefferson Avenue. Ten Black people were killed by a gunman that day. Three people were injured.
"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," Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement.
"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."
The goal of the commission is to develop and implement a plan to build a memorial in East Buffalo to memorialize those who were killed by a white supremacist.
The Commission will be responsible for
- Siting and Acquiring Land
- Community and Family Engagement Plans
- Architect Selection and Design Concepts
- Memorial Maintenance and Area Beautification
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."
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 first public meeting will be held June 13 at Stanley Makowski Early Childhood Center from 4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. There will also be a website for a community survey for those that cannot attend the public meetings, and for residents to stay information on what the commission is working on. You can find the link for the site here: https://www.buffalony.gov/1609/514-Memorial-Commission.
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