CWS Stands With Buffalo, Calls for Action to Combat Racial Violence, Hatemongering

Washington, D.C.—Church World Service today expressed its sorrow and shock following the horrific, racially-motivated mass murder of ten people in Buffalo this weekend. The organization stands in solidarity with the local community and mourns the lives tragically lost to a gunman driven to violence by hatred and white supremacy. The murders, which occurred Saturday at a predominately Black-area grocery store, were committed by an 18-year-old white man who posted a racist manifesto online shortly before the incident. In addition to sharing its grief with Buffalo community, CWS is renewing its call for our nation’s elected leaders to pass meaningful legislation to combat the spread of extremist conspiracy theories that far too often lead to the type of tragedies that occurred this weekend.

“This weekend the world watched as an 18-year-old drove hours to a predominantly Black-area grocery store in Buffalo and murdered 10 people, all because he believed the racism put forth by right-wing extremists in the media. He published a vile, hate-filled manifesto online, plagiarized from hatemongers and racist tropes, and then engraved a racial slur on the weapon he would use to gun down people who only wanted to pick up their weekly groceries. It is abhorrent, but sadly nothing new, and as we stand with Black community in Buffalo, we must all do more to snuff out the flame of hate in every corner of our nation,” said Rev. Reuben Eckels, Domestic Policy Advocate at CWS. “The mainstreaming of xenophobia and race baiting, the banning of Black, Brown and LGBTQ books from school curriculums, and widespread racial scapegoating is radicalizing bigots to commit mass atrocities. These hateful messages persist because the true causes of hate in our nation have never truly been addressed. While we must hold those who would spread these messages accountable, we must also address the institutional racism that pervades the United States. Grief is natural in moments like these, but it is only the first step towards ending such atrocities, and to do that, we must act.”

As part of Church World Service’s Platform on Racial Justice, the organization is calling for action. Community needs that are currently treated as law enforcement issues would be better served with increased funding for mental health response teams, public education and after-school programming, nutrition and well-being support, health care services, workforce development programs, violence prevention and intervention programs, and education and training for civilians on bystander intervention.