On Saturday, a white man who held white supremacist beliefs fired an assault weapon in a Black neighborhood grocery store in Buffalo, New York, murdering at least 10 people and injuring several others, almost all Black. We mourn the horrific and tragic loss of lives cut short, and send our condolences to the families, friends, and communities dealing with unimaginable grief.
This shooting was not a random attack or an isolated incident. It is part of a pattern of violent hate crimes that white racist American men have perpetrated against people from marginalized communities for years. It is the senseless yet obvious outcome of a white supremacist ideology often upheld by American law, media, and culture. The fact that an eighteen-year-old who had been on authorities’ radar for years could legally purchase a weapon of war, use social media to discuss his plan to attack Black people, and broadcast that attack live on the internet is unbearable. But it is not unexpected.
Black people should not have to worry that simply existing in public will make them a target for horrific violence. We stand with those calling for systemic change to address gun violence and white supremacy, secure justice for victims, and prevent horrific hate crimes in the first place. We are angry that these crimes continue, and remain committed to fighting for Black lives and for justice for all.