Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Nearly one year has elapsed since the racially-motivated mass shooting that occurred at TOPS on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo, killing 10 black people and injuring three others.
In efforts to continue to heal, educate and advance conversations regarding what occurred on May 14th and the acts of repeated violence happening regularly around the world against the Black community, Garnell and Raymond Whitfield, who lost their mother, Ruth Whitfield that day, are currently holding a three-day conference on hate and healing.
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The conference, called "Pursuit of tRuth: 5/14 Remembrance, Recovery & Prevention of Hate Conference & Launch Gala" started Thursday at Buffalo State University with engaging and thought-provoking discussions occurring between college students taking an Africana studies class at Buff State and students from the University at Wyoming, who attended via Zoom.
"Today was all about introducing our efforts along with the University to have an informational educational outreach program with the East Side of Buffalo, and beyond. That kicked things off today, they were just introducing it to the students, shared with professors from around the country," said Raymond Whitfield.
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Students shared with WBEN their thoughts on including the University of Wyoming in the discussion.
"These discussions, I think they're very important because you can get insight from people that you don't know, that are way across the country, who have different experiences from you, who lived their lives separate from you on a day-to-day basis, like [what] was discussed in the conversation, if we were to go there [to Wyoming], how would they [the general public] react?" said Brandynn Robinson, Buffalonian and first-year student.
Robinson also divulged how the TOPS shooting impacted him.
"It was definitely a scary experience, because I remember it happened when I was at work. And I thought, 'Oh, no, I work in a grocery store, could this happen here?' And then I found out that a member of my family was there. Luckily, he survived. Now, we have to be more careful and pay more attention to your surroundings."
"It's become so normal that you kind of become desensitized to it," Dave Harry added, a Buff State senior from New York City. "And I think that's the biggest problem, you know, we have to do something so it doesn't become the normal for us."
Aside from putting emphasis on continuing to have conversations, a key theme to the discussion was the importance of everyone learning about Africana and Black Studies and why classes like the ones offered at Buff State are a key facet in understanding and combating racial hate and discrimination.
"They hit on every point that we've talked about when we put this together, in terms of educating students, but also making it mandatory, and also starting in grade school. And, why isn't it taught? The only reason we have Africana Studies is because it's not included in American history. So for those who say 'African Studies, why do we have that?' It's because it's not taught, that's why," said Garnell Whitfield.
"I do think it's important to have a class like this, I honestly do," says Robinson.
"Because in our class, we get to speak with our open minds. Our opinions, they don't get silenced. And we don't get judged for our opinions, either. Everyone is able to say what's on their chest and how they feel about it. And then we could just have a civil conversation. It's not a debate. It's not an argument. It's just a conversation to broaden our minds and to expand on our thinking."
Educating the youth and the masses to teach others is just one piece of this complex puzzle. As Buffalo State University is one of the largest schools for producing teachers in New York State, it is important to the Whitfield's that they keep their conference here.
"[The] conversation will continue throughout. We have two other panels that are directed at education. One is, Don't Hate, Educate, we have to deal with the hate that's going on and our our students feeling threatened by it, how do we identify a child who's grieving? That's that panel that's going on Friday. We also have Whitewashed, this speaks explicitly on this topic of Africana censorship of history. So we're going to look at that from the middle passage to the middle aisle," said Raymond Whitfield.
Raymond says the conversation doesn't end when the weekend commences, they have been in great discussion with the United Nations, in advancing and continuing the conversations.
"At its core, we are about educating, informing, and providing a messaging platform ongoing. So our relationships with universities, like Buff State, are paramount to our efforts going forward. We want to reach the folks that can't afford to go to these universities, but it begins by marshaling resources like Buff State to help us."