Buffalo’s East Side 2 years after the mass shooting

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Tuesday marks two years since Buffalo was left broken and shocked. At the time of the shooting, an 18-year-old was driving from Conklin, where he is from, a three-and-a-half hour drive to a predominantly black community on the city’s east side. As we later learned from his manifesto, this is why he targeted the neighborhood and its only grocery store.

When Spectrum News 1 After what happened in Tops, there were food giveaways, diaper drives and elected officials from the White House to the community offering their support. Those who live in this area expected everyone to leave and forget about them. Were they right?

On the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Utica Street is Golden Cup Coffee. This is the place to go on the East Side. Spectrum News 1 anchor/reporter Breanna Fuss invited everyone who entered to sit down and talk about life on the East Side. Has that changed? Have any of the promises made subsequently been kept?

Pastor Ronald Benning of King Solomon Church was the first to begin the conversation.

“It’s always something that, whether it’s said or not, is always something that’s placed above,” Benning said.

The “it” Benning is referring to is investing. Time and time again, money is funneled to other parts of the city, leaving them with just one question.

“Why not here?” » asked Benning.

Benning says investing comes down to safety.

“Be in our community, love each other and trust each other, without having to look over our shoulders and wonder if someone is trying to scam us,” Benning said.

It was recently announced that $3.2 million would be earmarked for a section of Jefferson Avenue. Part of the development includes a new health care space, a mixed-use building with affordable housing and the headquarters of the Buffalo Urban League. The league’s mission is to empower underprivileged populations.

The reaction to this announcement is that it is a drop in the ocean.

“I appreciate the effort; I think $3.2 million is not enough for greater development of East Buffalo,” said Zaid B. Islam.

Islam calls itself the “Buffalo Booster.” He is also a counselor at the Niagara County Correctional Center and serves in the community with group ministry. Islam says that money should be invested in people.

“We have problems with infrastructure, streets, housing, OK,” Islam listed. “We have lighting problems; we look at quality of life issues; and correct enforcement.

He says we also need to invest in education and the future.

“I’m looking at more community centers in terms of places, you know, not just places (that) have a good balance between basketball and after-school education faces,” Islam said.

It calls for honesty and community spirit when it comes to real business.

“We pay the tax money and our taxes are used in other parts of the city,” Islam said.

Derrick Parson, executive director of Exchange at Beverly Gray, an incubator and coworking space serving BIPOC entrepreneurs, shed some light on this. He says they are working with established companies like Golden Cup to get business going again.

“These organizations right now are trying to get the word out about the resources that are there for them, to galvanize all the entrepreneurs and say, ‘Hey, we’re here,’” Parson said. “We’re trying to make sure we do something and we need you as a spokesperson. »

Parson says it will take time, but he is excited about the future.

“People say they want to bring Jefferson Avenue back to its heyday,” Parson said. “I think it’s beautiful, right? But Jefferson is so much more, and I can’t wait to see what it’s going to be.

Richard Cummings, president of the Black Chamber of Commerce, is cautiously optimistic. He too says things are changing, but not fast enough.

“There’s been a lot of discussion, a lot of money raised, but I’m not sure the progression has been healthy in terms of the progress we need,” Cummings said.

He added that the barrier is “very complicated.” He wants the community to get involved. He says everyone’s life experience is valuable.

“Keep hope; roll up your sleeves,” Cummings said. “Don’t expect it to be easy. It will be hard work, but when we succeed, we will be proud.

“Let’s talk about infrastructure,” said George Johnson, president of the Buffalo United Front, a community group that helps reduce violence. “You look around the neighborhood, how many vacant lots do they have on the other side of Main Street?”

Johnson says the power lies in the people.

“If they want to help you, listen to those who know. Give the necessary resources,” Johnson said.

Johnson also emphasizes investing in community centers and children and making sure they have life experiences. He says removing festivals from the city and moving them to the suburbs, and even keeping Bills Stadium in Orchard Park, excludes people. The same goes, he says, for financing large projects.

“Many organizations know what’s best for our community, but they don’t have the resources to make things happen,” Johnson said.

Mark Talley sits next to him. His mother Géraldine was one of the 10 people murdered on May 14, 2022.

“I think she would be even angrier that people (are), you know, pimping her 5/14 name,” Talley said when asked what she would think about the lack of progress. “And like people who need money, they don’t get it.”

This wasn’t the first time someone had said this. There’s something else that hasn’t changed over the past two years: the community is resilient.

“But we live, we survive and we fight again,” Benning said.