Greetings!
Ruth Whitfield. Roberta Drury. Aaron Salter. Heyward Patterson. Pearl Young. Geraldine Talley. Celestine Chaney. Katherine Massey. Margus Morrison. Andre Mackneil.
These were the eleven individuals in Buffalo, New York who lost their lives in an anti-Black hate crime. Less than a day later, we learned of Dr. John Cheng, killed in a hate-motivated shooting in Laguna Woods. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families.
This has been a painful week. It's a pain that is all too familiar.
We saw it in El Paso. We saw it at the Tree of Life Synagogue. Violent hate crimes are rising in the U.S. as more people feel emboldened to spread messages of hate and racism. Some of those messages lead to real life violence.
Hate has hurt our communities, but it won't divide us. Tonight, we are hosting a Solidarity Vigil to grieve, to heal, and stand united against hate.
I hope you'll join us.
This work is more important now than ever before. We must fight against hate by fighting for love, diversity and inclusion. We must show that we are stronger than those who seek to divide us. Hate is rising. But we will rise as well.
Keep the faith and keep the fight,
- Capri Maddox
Executive Director,
Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department