May 19, 2022
We at Riverbend are deeply saddened and disturbed by the horrific mass shooting that took the lives of 10 people and injured 3 others in Buffalo, NY on May 14, 2022. As a school dedicated to uplifting values of social justice, and the prioritization of dismantling systemic racism, we stand in solidarity with the greater community and families in Buffalo that were impacted by this act of domestic terrorism. We wish for peace and justice for the Black community in Buffalo and around the nation who, unfortunately more often than not, have had to face senseless acts of hate crimes fueled by white supremacy.
We understand that we are in an era of deep divisions due to political affiliations, however, we as a school want to focus our attention away from politics, centralizing humanization and recognizing the threat to humanity that white supremacy poses. We acknowledge that what happened in Buffalo was racially motivated, and was a clear example of the dangers racism perpetuates towards our communities, nation, and world. With that said, now more than ever — in a time when states across the nation are attempting to pass legislation in order to bar education spaces from engaging in learning around diversity — we at Riverbend have a responsibility, and are committed to establishing a community that does not shy away from embedding racial justice in all that we do as a school.
In addition to the tragedy in Buffalo, we recognize that there were multiple mass shootings that took place over the past few days in various locations across the country. Our hearts and thoughts are with all those who were impacted by these senseless acts of violence. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King once said “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” It is for this reason, we must all continue to do our part in combating all threats to justice in hopes of building a more peaceful, equitable, and just world.
