With All Due Respect

[On May 17, 2024, Right2TheCity included this piece among its “SELECTED MEDIA” posts.  I am extremely grateful to its staff for the honor.  If you are not already familiar with this informative publication – with the motto “A battle cry to remake the city in our own image” – I recommend that you check out its policy declaration.]

Yesterday, May 14, 2024, was the second anniversary of the horrific events at the Tops Supermarket on Jefferson Avenue in Buffalo, New York. (See 10 dead in Buffalo supermarket attack police call hate crime | AP News.) Many solemn words of remembrance have been spoken and written to mark the passing of two years [see, for example, Plans unveiled for memorial honoring victims of racist mass shooting at Buffalo supermarket (buffalonews.com); Tops unveils ‘honor space’ to commemorate victims of 5/14 (buffalonews.com), and, of special note, Sean Kirst’s 2 years after Buffalo shooting, he can still see every face (buffalonews.com)]. And images of the ceremony officially dedicating Tops Markets’ 5/14 “Honor Space” can be found online.  (See, for example, Photos: The dedication of the 5/14 Honor Space (buffalonews.com).)   

The aim of this posting is a modest one, to take a closer look at the signage and elements that comprise the “Honor Space”, and to provide links with some background information on the artists who contributed to the memorial. 

My remarks will be kept to a minimum.

Here’s the description provided by the “friendly” corporate sponsor, Tops Markets:

And the poetry, entitled “Fortress of Peace”, by the City of Buffalo’s 2024 poet laureate, Aitina Fareed-Cooke:

And a sign describing the history of a World Trade Center seedling, and an image of the youthful tree:

Here’s one of ten granite bollards that represent each of the community members who lost their lives on May 14, 2022 [note: you may wish to watch “This American Experience” broadcast from August 2022 for a more personal narrative on the lives of the 5/14 victims: Name. Age. Detail.]:

Throughout the “Honor Space” one will see various Adinkra symbols (some too small for my aging eyes to fully appreciate), each one expressing a sentiment or concept.  The symbols originated from the Gyaman people of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Here is a link to information on Adinkra symbols.  

The mother and son team, Valeria Cray-Dihaan and Hiram Cray, contributed the stunning “UNITY” sculpture:

I apologize for the poor quality of the “UNITY” sign that follows, and my uncertainty on whether the words are those of either Valeria or Hiram Cray (or of another artist).  I look forward to modifying or expanding this post when I receive clarification: 

I’ll end this posting with a photo – from a distance – of several visitors to the Honor Space the afternoon of May 14, 2024 (that I hope adequately protects their privacy):

With all Due Respect,

Art Giacalone

P.S. On May 13, 2024, NY Governor Kathy Hochul and other dignitaries unveiled a rendering of a proposed permanent memorial to the ten human beings who tragically lost their lives on May 14, 2022.  Here’s the rendering: Rendering of proposed 05-14-22 memorial. Neither the source of funding, nor the location for the memorial, has been identified.