JCPA Statement Marking Two Years Since the Buffalo Attack

JCPA CEO Amy Spitalnick released the following statement marking two years since the white supremacist mass shooting at Tops supermarket in Buffalo, NY:

“Two years ago, a white supremacist walked into a supermarket in Buffalo and killed 10 Black people.

“He was motivated by the very same racist, antisemitic, and xenophobic conspiracy theory that had already fueled a cycle of mass violence, from Charlottesville to Pittsburgh to Poway to El Paso and beyond — and that has since become wholly normalized in our politics and society via dangerous ‘invasion’ and ‘replacement’ rhetoric and lies.

“Two years later, the threat of white supremacist extremism remains dire, further exacerbated in an election year by politicians and prominent media voices who leverage this deadly hate for political gain.

“As we mark two years since the Buffalo shooting, we are reminded that our communities’ safety and futures are inseparable. As we’ve seen over and over in these attacks, antisemitism, anti-Black racism, and xenophobia are inextricably linked, animating and fueling each other in a constant feedback loop – with deadly consequences for our communities and our democracy.

“Confronting this crisis requires a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, from investing in prevention and accountability, to ensuring social media companies live up to their obligations, to building the democratic resilience that is inherent to inclusive societies in which all communities are safe and free.”

Spitalnick previously spearheaded the successful civil lawsuit against the neo-Nazis and white supremacists responsible for the Charlottesville violence. She serves as an advisor to a number of efforts focused on countering extremism and hate-fueled violence.

Additional Links:

Washington Post: A Woman Who Takes on Neo-Nazis Sees Ominous Signs in Mass Shooting

Democrat & Chronicle: His Mother Was Killed in Buffalo’s Racist Shooting. How He Turned His Grief Into Activism