The same spontaneity that drew makeshift memorials to the Tops Supermarket at 1275 Jefferson Avenue almost four years ago led to the creation of a coalition dedicated to preserving every memory and memento following the tragedy that took place there on May 14, 2022.
Melissa Brown, executive director of the Buffalo History Museum, reached out to Garnell Whitfield — son of victim Ruth Whitfield — about collecting the tributes left behind by mourners.
“She just wanted to make contact with some of the family members and try to find out if they were interested in doing something to preserve, to capture some of those spontaneous memorials, because the weather was changing and they would be lost," Whitfield said.
That mission birthed the 5/14 Massacre Community Memory Coalition, a group of community partners looking to preserve the history of a community disrupted by tragedy. They held a community conversation to ask the public how they want to see the legacies of victims and survivors honored, a form of outreach they've done since 2022 following the mass shooting that claimed 10 lives and injured three individuals.
Brown said the coalition is driven by ensuring the erasure of Buffalo’s Black community is a part of history that will not be repeated.
“We really want to make sure that not only are the resources here and available, but also they're accessible to help dismantling those systems,” she said.
The May 14th Community Collecting Initiative, the coalition's project which has become a joint effort of survivors, family members, cultural institutions and community members, seeks to create an enduring record of the 2022 white supremacist massacre.
The Buffalo and Erie County Public Library serves as one of the initiative's partners, helping to preserve history through collecting oral accounts from the East Side community about life before and after the racist mass shooting.
“Being able to work together with other cultural organizations and members of the community to make things better, not just on the East Side, but throughout Buffalo and throughout Western New York, is very impactful,” said Dorinda Darden, interim director of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library.
That impact that gives dignity and respect to a community with an oft-ignored history, as explained by Whitfield, who also serves as a member of the 5/14 Massacre Community Memory Coalition
“I think this is where we begin to, you know, change our paradigm. This is where we, you know, create an authentic history of our community, of our people, of ourselves," he said.
Members of the coalition say they’ll continue to seek community input regarding how the history of 5/14 should be shared and preserved.
