Children’s Defense Fund condemns the racist act of domestic terrorism that took the lives of 10 people and wounded three others in Buffalo this weekend. Most importantly, we see and stand beside the Masten Park neighborhood and the greater East Buffalo community who have been terrorized by this attack. We also recognize that the weight of this hate, lack of safety, and accompanying trauma is felt by Black communities, families, and children daily.
This attack is not just about a misguided 18-year-old or our country’s lack of gun control or social media’s rapid dissemination of hateful ideologies. This attack is about white supremacist thinking aligned with systematic oppression and subjugation, which has been embedded in America since its inception. Black children are told through horrific violence of the kind that took place in Buffalo, but also through the poverty they are forced to endure and the kinds of schools they are able to attend, that they are not safe and that they do not deserve an equal opportunity to thrive.
The racialized hate that occurred in Buffalo is prevalent across our nation. The weight of this hate falls disproportionately on Black children, and we will not stand for it. Children’s Defense Fund will continue working alongside children, youth, families, and communities to create a society that values all children equally.