Comedian Dave Chappelle, who booked a last-minute show in Buffalo Sunday, announced on stage he had done so to honor the victims of the racially motivated attack at a supermarket where a gunman killed 10 people.
via: Vibe
The mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y. has shaken the city’s Black community to its core. The terrorist attack disrupted a close-knit community that closely relied on the now-temporarily closed Tops Friendly Market, presenting more issues for an area lacking healthy foods and other resources. To aid the community during these trying times, entities like the Buffalo Bills and Benny the Butcher have contributed to show their love for the city’s Eastside. The outpouring of love isn’t stopping at the local level, though, as Dave Chappelle has stepped up to give back.
During his last-minute, weekend show at the city’s Shea’s Performing Arts Center, the comedian announced that he’ll be donating all proceeds from the sold-out show to the Buffalo Mass Shooting victims’ families. The venue seats 3,019 patrons.
“He said, and I’m paraphrasing, (he) came here to Buffalo to recognize the victims and for these families,” shared Kevin Sweeney, director of marketing and communications for the venue.
On May 14, 2022, 18-year-old murder suspect Payton Gendron drove several hours to the city of Buffalo, killing 10 people and wounding three. The shooter was taken into custody and has since pleaded not guilty to his hate crime and 25-count indictment.
Earlier this week, Gary Whitfield, Jr., ex-commissioner of the Buffalo Fire Department, appeared before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, urging leaders to take a stand against white supremacy and domestic gun violence.
“Do you expect us to continue just to forgive and forget over and over again?” he said. “And what are you doing? You’re elected to protect us, to protect our way of life. I ask every one of you to imagine the faces of your mothers as you look at mine and ask yourself, is there nothing that we can do? Is there nothing that you are willing to do to stop the cancer of white supremacy and the domestic terrorism it inspires?”
In light of the Buffalo, N.Y. and Uvalde, Texas shootings, the House has passed a packaged gun control bill called the Protecting Our Kids Act. You can read the full bill and what it entails here.
