A final public engagement meeting will soon be held to discuss 1,300 responses to a survey designed to provide input on a Buffalo 5/14 memorial.
The meeting was scheduled for Tuesday night, but it was postponed due to weather. Officials plan to announce a new date later in the week.
The memorial will honor the 10 people killed and three wounded during the racist mass shooting at the Jefferson Avenue Tops Markets on May 14, 2022, as well as others affected by the massacre.
The 5/14 Memorial Commission conducted the survey in Buffalo and across the metro region to gain insight and give those impacted by the tragedy the opportunity to share thoughts about the design, look and feel of the memorial.
“The racially-motivated mass shooting that occurred at the Jefferson Avenue Tops was an act of hate and white supremacy. Its impact will be felt for years to come,” Mayor Byron W. Brown said in a news release. “That’s why it’s important to make sure the memorial we create both honors the lives taken, and honors the survivors and wishes of the community.”
Along with conducting the survey, commission members met with the families of those who died in the shooting and engaged in many conversations to incorporate their vision for the memorial.
The commission last year shared preliminary results from the survey on its website, buffalony.gov/1609/514-Memorial-Commission. Final results will be available on the website following the public meeting.
The commission was established by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Brown in October 2022. Pastor Mark Blue, as chairman, leads the 11-member group.
Its tasks have included finding an appropriate site to build the memorial, acquiring land and engaging the community and the families impacted by the mass shooting. It also has worked to select an architect and design concepts, as well as fundraising, maintaining the memorial and beautifying the surrounding area.
Buffalo counts itself as one of several…
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