By Word In Black
(WIB) – The Word In Black publishers extend our heartfelt condolences to the residents of the City of Buffalo during this challenging time. We are deeply concerned and troubled by the wanton killing of 10 innocent people by an alleged lone gunman intent on ending Black lives. We are also incredibly saddened over the loss of Katherine Eleanor Massey, a freelance journalist for two Black-owned newspapers — The Buffalo Challenger and The Buffalo Criterion — who was among the victims killed at the Tops Friendly Market on May 14, 2022.
Since 1827, the Black Press has documented the trials and triumphs of Black Americans. Our coverage of the racist and hate-filled atrocities leveled against Black Americans, from slavery to the destruction of Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to the church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, and the newspaper bombing in Jackson, Mississippi, to the mass shooting at Mother Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and now Buffalo, New York is discouraging. Yet, it galvanizes us to stay true to our mission. We exist to provide a voice for the victims and to underscore the resilience of the survivors who, through faith, refuse to give up or give in.
We remain steadfast to our mission and promise to Black people to confront inequities, elevate solutions, and amplify the Black experience by reporting, collecting, and sharing stories about real people in communities across our country. Through our work , we hope to illustrate that our hearts go out to the people of Buffalo, and that we stand in solidarity with Black people everywhere.