MAEC Responds to Racist Attack in Buffalo
May 20, 2022
MAEC advocates for safe schools and communities where Black lives matter.
We were horrified to learn of the racist domestic terrorist attack targeting Black people at a grocery store in Buffalo, NY this past Saturday. Our hearts are with the families of Roberta A. Drury, Margus D. Morrison, Andre Mackneil, Aaron Salter, Geraldine Talley, Celestine Chaney, Heyward Patterson, Katherine Massey, Pearl Young, and Ruth Whitfield. We wish Christopher Braden a speedy recovery and we are thankful to learn of the ongoing physical recovery of Zaire Goodman and Jennifer Warrington.
As we reel again in the aftermath of yet another attack, we are sickened and disheartened by the ongoing trauma caused by racism and violence against Black communities in the United States. Educators and caregivers bear the heavy burden and expectation to address difficult topics with children, especially those who care for and teach Black children, to help them cope with fresh and reoccurring trauma.
We recommend resources such as the Anti-Defamation League’s The Horrific Mass Shooting in Buffalo: How to Talk with Young People, which provides tools to have purposeful conversations with children about racially motivated violence; and Learning for Justice’s Combating Online Youth Radicalization, a webinar on identifying online radicalization and how online hate affects targeted groups.
Awareness and conversations are not enough to make lasting change. Addressing racism requires systemic changes, commitment to teaching truth, and collective action. We are challenging ourselves to think differently about how to approach numbing and recurring violent situations. We turn to our work to build a more just society together that is safe for everyone, everywhere.
