We at Insight Western Mass honor the lives, the connections, and the community of those killed in the Buffalo Massacre. We hold their loved ones in compassion and we mourn the profound loss.
Celestine Chaney
Roberta Drury
Andre Mackneil
Katherine Massey
Margus Morrison
Heyward Patterson
Aaron Salter
Geraldine Talley
Ruth Whitfield
Pearl Young
We stand in solidarity with those who are rising up to say that violence against Black people, and all racist violence, must end. The Buddha said “hold fast to the truth,” the Dharma. In this moment of crisis, we are called upon to face the truth of racism individually and in community. We recognize racism and white supremacy have a long legacy in this country. Let us draw on the steadiness of mind and the expansiveness of heart that we cultivate in our practice to take compassionate, discerning, decisive action against racism.
At the bottom of this email is a non-inclusive list of organizations/resources that we can all support or get involved in to fight racism. We cite these not to endorse any particular group but to point to the many possibilities available to us, and to illustrate that, as Dharma practitioners, in each moment, we have a choice to make about whether and how to take action. Each of us can look into our hearts and decide on any appropriate action based on the conditions of our lives.
To ground our intentions in the Dharma, we encourage everyone to come together in sangha for refuge and strength in this time of grief and powerful anger. As Black feminist poet Alexis Pauline Gumbs says, “Freedom is not a secret. It’s a practice.” Let’s practice together, taking wholesome action in community.
With Metta,
IWM Board
Local Buffalo Resources
Black Buffalo Businesses
