BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A day of remembrance and community. Two years ago, the Tops of Jefferson Avenue was where 10 of our neighbors were shot and killed in a racist attack.
In front of the store's parking lot now sits a new space dedicated in their honor.
The 5/14 Honor Space was unveiled Tuesday morning, serving as an interactive tribute to the lives lost.
7 News learned the meaning behind the monument from the voices of those who created it.
"Art is a catalyst for remembrance, change, and a respite for the weary mind. We ask that when you visit this work, you may rest your grief at its feet. That it can offer some space for meditation and solace and resolve," artist Hiram Cray said. "We would like the families in our community to know this work is our love. It is an embodiment of our love and our community. It is an embodiment of our hopes and dreams for our community. An embodiment for our care and protection for our community for the families, and embodiment of our condolences and embrace."
A second memorial is in the works but its location is undecided.
The focal point of the "Seeing Us" memorial was putting the victims' families first, creating a space for healing, remembrance, and hope.
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Douglass Alligood and Jin Young Song are the architects of this piece.
"We find strength in each other," said Alligood. "That's really the importance of having a memorial and having that community center that is flexible."
There will be 10 pillars representing the victims and additional pillars for survivors.
"Those pillars are connected as an arch, which is kind of a visitation for everyone to come in the ways people come to the memorial. We become kind of one," said University at Buffalo Architect Department Associated Professor Jin Young Song. "The building is on a slope so that you're walking seamlessly from earth and up a hill, and the journey is part of your path in life. Before you know it, you're actually on top of a building. You may not even realize it until you're overlooking the memorial."
There is also an educational component.
"One of the things that we wanted is some wholeness, some relief. We wanted some individuals to come and even have that moment to grieve. We also want them to reflect and to leave educated," said 5/14 Memorial Commission Chair Reverend Mark Blue.
The 5/14 Memorial Commission committee members say the location for this memorial will not be announced for another few weeks.
"It will be a site that everyone will embrace and will be happy with and will be prominent and easy to find within the community," said 5/14 Memorial Commission Committee member Steven Carmina.
The timeline for the "Seeing Us" memorial is expected to break ground one year from May 14, 2024, followed by a ribbon cutting the following year.
