The past two and a half years have brought enormous challenges. We have had to persevere through what seems like a never-ending pandemic. We’ve watched asylum-seekers turned away at our borders and children separated from their families. We have seen people’s hearts open to welcome refugees who feared for their lives, and watched horrific images of Russia’s war on the Ukraine. Advised by health providers to limit our exposure to these disturbing images to preserve our peace of mind, we hoped for relief and better days ahead.
And then, just as we were beginning to feel the joy that warmer weather always seems to bring, our hopes were again shattered when a man promoting white supremacy succeeded in targeting and killing 10 Black people as they shopped for dinner at their only supermarket. I think I cried most when I heard Attorney Ben Crump say, “He killed the best of us — the old women who wore beautiful hats, who sit in the front row of church, handing out little wrapped candies to young children.”
The incident brought out the best and the worst in our attempts to do better, highlighting overlooked realities, including the fact that Buffalo is one of the most segregated cities in America. There is no question that race is a public health issue. There is no question that the only way we can hope to do better is by hearing one another, and working toward developing a roadmap for healthy change. Thus, we are proud to bring you Hometown Health Connection’s Community Conversations. The program will air monthly on WBBZ-TV in two 30-minute segments and address difficult issues we are often hesitant to talk about. Please engage in these conversations with us starting with our first show, which will be shown in two parts Wednesday, June 15 at 8 pm or Saturday June 18 at noon and Wednesday June 22 or Saturday June 25 at noon.
Thank you for reading Buffalo Healthy Living online, in print, and on television.
