The Tops on Jefferson is now officially open. In advance of the opening, Tops implemented additional safety measures, a complete redesign of the store, a memorial located inside the store (a “water wall,” created in collaboration with Buffalo Poet Laureate Jillian Hanesworth), and has plans for a memorial outside (to be installed at Jefferson Avenue and Landon Street). Also, an urban street art exhibition, titled “An Offering,” will be on display from July 17 through September 9.
Many members of Buffalo’s black community, however, are not happy that there has been a concerted effort underway to reopen Tops Friendly Market – the site of the racist massacre that took place not long ago. As the surrounding community continues to heal, proponents of keeping Tops closed – until “real action” is made and community concerns are addressed – have been calling for the powers that be to take time to “reimagine the sacred grounds.”
To that end, a press conference is being held at this time, to demand that decisions makers, including Mayor Byron Brown, Councilman Wingo, Councilman Pridgen, all Common Council Members, and Tops Friendly Markets President, John Persons, listen to the community instead of simply railroading the opening of the supermarket before the community’s concerns are addressed.
“To all those in positions of power that support the reopening of Tops: [We are asking to] halt the reopening of the Tops out of respect, honor, and justice for the 10 Black lives that were stolen, the four people who were injured and the thousands more who were traumatized. We believe that the Tops reopening is taking place too soon, and has failed to offer the community a public platform to offer its feedback on the reopening. In addition to calling for the reopening to be halted, the community will be calling for a public meeting to provide a space for the community to reimagine the sacred grounds, where the terrorist attack took place. The public meeting will be held sometime in early August. Our Goal is to have architects, urban planners there, those in decision making positions of power, like Mayor Byron Brown, and to present and design architectural renderings of what a reimagined space could look like. Our goals after the public meeting, we will work with investors, developers, the governor, and elected officials to bring those visions to life.”
The black community has issued a statement noting that, since the racist attack, “… absolutely nothing has changed!” In other communities throughout the US, the buildings where mass shootings have occurred have been demolished, and rebuilt with the community’s concerns in the forefront of the rebuilding effort. The black community is using this horrific attack as an opportunity to draw attention to East Buffalo’s broader needs, wants, and concerns. The Tops Friendly Market is the neighborhood’s “only” full service grocery store servicing the black community, which is why it was targeted by the racist shooter to begin with. That alone is a reason to re-examine the failings and the potential of East Buffalo, which is a large swath of the city, geographically.
Now, the community is asking to be involved in the process of rebuilding, not just the supermarket’s corner, but the neighborhood as a whole.
“Many believe that the untimely reopening also makes it much less likely that the many other issues that have been exposed by this tragedy will be remedied; the immediate needs of resources, reinvestment, and restoration.”