YWCA Statement on Buffalo Shooting

On May 16th, Black families in Buffalo woke up without someone they loved, someone they depended on, someone they laughed with, someone they cried on…only because they were Black in America.These horrific shootings are not the result of a lone extremist or an individual suffering from a mental health episode. This shooting, the 2015 massacre of worshipers at a Black church in Charleston, South Carolina, the 2018 mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, the 2019 killings at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, and too many others to name were all simply motivated by racial HATE.

White supremacist terrorism is America’s chief domestic threat.We demand that Congress provide safety from gun violence by passing legislation that: keeps guns out of the hands of perpetrators of domestic violence, stalking, and other interpersonal violence; eliminates access to automatic weapons and high capacity ammunition; protects students from the danger of school shootings; and strengthens methods for screening and removing firearms from individuals who pose a significant risk of danger to others.

Black people deserve the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. and should feel safe in grocery stores, schools, churches, and in their own communities. Gun violence is an epidemic, and the time is now for our legislators to implement common-sense measures to keep our communities safe.