“An 18-year-old white supremacist drove for hours to a neighborhood grocery store in Buffalo, where he shot 13 people, specifically targeting Black people. Ten died. This terrorist attack was calculated and premeditated, driven by vile racism and hate. Our hearts ache for the victims and families of the Buffalo shooting and for the city itself. Our hearts break for the Black community, which once again has been targeted in a racially motivated mass shooting. While reports of racially motivated and anti-Black violence are on the rise, we know this only speaks to increased awareness of these horrors and that these occurrences are nothing new.

“The Buffalo shooter, who purchased his weapons legally, posted a white supremacist, anti-Semitic manifesto. He joins a tragically long list of mass murderers driven by hate that includes the shooters at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the Walmart in El Paso, the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, sites in Atlanta, Indianapolis, and many other places. The white supremacy and hate behind so much violence has found a home on social media platforms and is fomented by cynical cable news hosts who spread the false, dangerous conspiracy theories that Black people, Jews, Muslims, Asian Americans, people who are Latinx and/or LGBTQ+, immigrants and others aim to ‘replace’ the white men who hold power.

“Making this toxic mix much more lethal, too many of our elected leaders are weaponizing disinformation about everything from Critical Race Theory to gender-affirming care, from  investments in a care infrastructure to ending mass incarceration and criminalization, in order to stoke fears and hold onto their power.  

“During this violence-filled weekend in America, there were also mass shootings in Milwaukee, Houston, and Orange County, California. There have been shootings at three Asian-run businesses in the Dallas area in the last few weeks, which Dallas police say are likely motivated by hate. America’s moms are appalled and horrified. We do not want to raise our children in a country in which communities are divided from each other, with so much hatred and violence. We want a country where we can all count on safety, justice, equality, and opportunity.”