Prayers & Support for our Family in Buffalo
As you may know, many of the communities and individuals directly affected by one of the worst acts of mass terror inflicted upon residents of Buffalo, NY yesterday have been very close to us at IMAN.
For longstanding IMAN Arts Leaders Drea d’Nur and Quadir Lateef, the supermarket that was targeted that day was one they and many of their loved ones regularly frequented. Over the weekend, IMAN was with Drea, Quadir and several other members of our team, whose lives are rooted in this part of Buffalo, as we closed out IMAN’s This Love Thing artist residencies in Nashville. Our beloved sister Cariol Horne, former Buffalo Police officer and activist who IMAN supported in her fight for justice, was also among one of the first local Buffalo activists on the scene.
While you will hear more from us on this issue in light of IMAN’s organizational commitments, today we are simply reaching out to ask for your prayers and support. We ask that you offer a prayer for all the families reeling from this trauma and that you consider supporting Feed Buffalo, the only halal, organic food pantry and healing center in Buffalo, NY – one that has served many of these same families in the area for years. Led by Drea d’Nur, Feed Buffalo has been a critical life-line for so many in times of profound need.
As an organization all-too-familiar with the oppressive nature of “food swamps,” and the debilitating racial disparities undergirding areas deemed “food deserts,” we know the wanton terror and murder at this location is only compounded by the temporary closure of that space. Lastly, we know in moments like this, whether in Buffalo or across the country, it is imperative that we urge people to drive their support first and foremost to the leaders and institutions on the ground doing the work. So again, we ask all of you to donate generously in this time to Feed Buffalo and to keep all the families affected in your prayers.
