Growing up, I was an avid reader of books that spoke to the condition of Black people. As I would read, I would often wonder how I would’ve responded to the gross injustice faced by our community.
Have you ever considered who you would’ve been if presented with the same or similar set of circumstances? How brave might you have been to speak up for others? How confident might you have been to speak out against injustice? How much you may have contributed to the causes you believe so deeply in?
On May 22, a Sunday afternoon, an 18 year old white supremacist picked his side and chose hate. Payton S. Gendron drove to Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, New York a predominantly Black city and unleashed pure hell. Motivated by hate and fueled by a 180 page manifesto pledging that hate, Payton S. Gendron shot a total of thirteen people — 11 of whom were Black. Ten of those people perished.
Food for Thought
Often times, history repeats itself and dares us to pick a side. I’m amazed at how casually we move on from these events as if they are meaningless in essence. Earlier I asked, who you would have been if presented with same or similar circumstances?
Perhaps, like me, you’re outspoken & passionate actively speaking up and out. Or, maybe you’re precise and intentional and respond to injustice by raising awareness in your inner circles. Maybe, you’re creative at heart and you express our love, joy, & pain through art, music, song, or dance.
Whatever it is, use it. We are all gifted and those same gifts can be used to amplify, protect, and help each other. We see what’s going on. We all understand priority and our existence has been and will always be priority.
When there’s a threat or act of violence that threatens our ability to exist, function and most importantly thrive in this country — it deserves meaningful time, attention, and rectification.
How We Can Help
In partnership with Tops, the National Compassion Fund has established the Buffalo 5/14 Survivors Fund to provide direct financial assistance to the survivors of the deceased and those directly affected by this tragedy.
One hundred percent of the contributions donated to this Fund will go directly to survivors and victims of this tragedy. Donations made to this Fund are tax deductible.
The National Compassion Fund is a subsidiary of the National Center for Victims of Crime, the nation’s leading resource and advocacy organization for crime victims and those who serve them. The National Center for Victims of Crime is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and a leading authority in compensating victims of mass casualty events.
Image by Jen White Johnson @jtknoxroxs
XOXO
Elayne Meshell
