This Saturday, May 14, 2022 an 18-year-old white supremacist used a gun to target and kill black people at Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York. This young man killed ten black patrons who were shopping at the supermarket.
Let us not forget to remember them, see these faces and acknowledge that they are not just “10 lives lost” on a headliners but ten people that lived lives. They have people who love them, valued them and cherish them. Our hearts are heavy by this great loss of life.
This is a pattern of hate crimes that have terrorized our nation for decades. When we head to the grocery store, our church, movie theatres, school, or parades we should be able to feel safe and not terrorized and gunned down motivated by hate.
“All the pain that we’re feeling is valid. The tears are valid. Anger is valid. Yes, this happened. You’re right. I know it hurts. It’s OK for you to cry. It’s OK for you to not want to go to work today. It’s OK for your kids to stay home from school today. They’re afraid.”
Jillian Hanesworth, the poet laureate of Buffalo
Jillian urges supporters to use the hashtag: #BuffaloHonest. The city knows they are strong, what her city needs right now is honest conversation about systemic racism, the history of segregation, redlining and highway construction that hurt Black neighborhoods.
The Founding of People Spread Love was in Response to a Mass Shooting in the US
People Spread Love was founded in 2015 in response to the mass shooting killing nine black churchgoers in Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church during their bible study in Charleston, South Carolina. The gunman was also a white supremist and motivated to kill black people. After hearing of the shooting there was an immediate wave of helplessness sinking feeling in our Founder but then a heart-centered action to do something. Read more about how People Spread Love all began here.
Our motivation to begin this work was and remains centered around love and empathy for the pain and suffering of our community across the country. This hate-centered act of violence in Buffalo is another example of hate trying to win over love. This pains us to see this hatred continually being spread time and again. These claims of the ‘Great Replacement’ theory that people of color, black people, and Jewish communities will replace the white people in America is rooted in fear, hatred, and racism.
It feels helpless to many of us Americans that seek out good and hope in response to pain and suffering when we lose precious life. Now is a time to grieve and to feel emotions necessary for this moment in time and then take action. Action may mean to protest, or call/write your local politician, or vote, or run for office yourself, or to educate oneself, or write down your feelings/thoughts on paper, or pray, or meditate, or have open and honest discussions about white supremacy and racism in this country with your friends/family, or write a “note of love” to the victim’s families, or support in a way that most resonates with your love language.
People Spread Love stands with Buffalo, New York. This continual pattern of motivation of hatred will simply not win or conquer the love embodied in communities all across this country.
People Spread Love stands up against white supremacy. This rhetoric and acts of violence is hateful and wrong and has no place in our country and no place any where.
Continue spreading love, not hate.
Please send us ideas on ways to help by emailing us at hello@peoplespreadlove.com and we will be sure to share it here and on our social media platforms.