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Challenger Community News • t hec hallengernews.com •July 22,2021
AREA BRIEFS
"THE TRUTH" GUEST Democratic Mayoral Primary winner India Walton will be the guest on "The Truth and Nothing But The Truth So Help Us God" talk Show July 31 from 1:30 to 2:00 PM on WUFO 1080 AM/ 96.5 FM radio. "The Truth," hosted by Samuel A. Herbert, airs on WUFO every last Saturday of each month.
Michigan Street Heritage Corridor Project Community Update! A Community Conversation to learn about our vision for the African American Heritage Corridor will be held Tuesday, July 27 from 6-7:30 PM. The update is being hosted by Strategic Planning Consultant, Moody Nolan, which has been gathering input from community members for several months and they are ready to share their draft plan with the community to gain more feedback. Curious about the project? For more information on how to register for the upcoming Conversation Update, email us at info@ michiganstreetbuffalo.org
SEE YOU AT THE POLLS IN NOVEMBER!
Bloody Sunday: Troopers violently attack peaceful Civil Rights Voting marchers in Selma, Alabama in 1965.
City Hall Reopens to the Public Starting Monday most offices in City Hall will reopen to the pubic from 8:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m Monday through Friday for walk-in services; something residents have not been able to do since July of 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The departments that will be open to the public without appointment effective Monday July 26 will include: Parking Violations, User Fee, Tax and Assessment, Treasury, Public Works, Permit and Inspection, Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency, Civil Service, City Clerk, Corporation Counsel and Real Estate. The City Hall lobby and inside observation deck will also be open. Buffalo Common Council meetings on the 13th floor will once again be open to the public to attend as well. In addition, Virtual meetings will continue to be streamed live on the Council’s Facebook page. The Council has been closed to the public since March 2020. The Board of Education offices will remain closed to walk-in traffic. "Masks will be required for unvaccinated visitors, but no proof of vaccination will be required.," Mayor Brown stated in a news release.
The Long History of Police Violence A FAMILY’S GRIEF: From left, Artavia Anderson, Poshine Jenifer, Danette Jenifer (center), Venita Underwood. Challenger Photo
“You took a beautiful soul from us…” Family expressed their grief over tragic loss of three-year old Shaquille Walker Jr. Thanks community for its support.
D
anette Jenifer was able to compose herself just long enough to express her profound grief in a few simple words. “The people that did this…you took a beautiful soul from us,” she began. “Y'all really, like, ruined my life. Yes, I do have another son to live for, ”she said referring to her one-year-old. “But I’ll never get another Shaquille Walker Jr.” Those who took Shaquille from her, continued the 24-year-old mother, also “took him from his little brother” who he loved to hug, and “taught how to brush his teeth and put on his clothes.” Standing with Danette at the press conference last Thursday in MLK Park was her father, Poshine Jennifer, Artavia Anderson, her mother and Venita Underwood. “To those who have supported us at this very harsh time, we want to say thank you so very much,” said Mr. Jennifer “We don’t have no ill will against nobody – never did never will- but we have a family member that left tragically and it’s a very sad situation, but everybody's going to pull through.” Tina Sanders, the dedicated community worker and founder of No More Tears ,who reached out to the family and provided assistance, was also on hand. “On behalf of No More Tears, we have got to remember that this baby….this young vibrant baby never had a chance to live his Shaquille Walker Jr. life to the fullest. You destroyed a family” and devastated a community, she said directing her words to those involved in little Shaquille’s death. “We should be celebrating, not talking about the loss of a baby. So wherever you may be, however you may feel, it’s time for you to come forward.” She urged the community to keep the family in their prayers “We must remember this family even after the service (funeral) is over, because people tend to forget” she said. “They will still need wrapping arms, loving care and support.” The adorable little boy was caught in a crossfire when shots rang out on the Fourth of July holiday as a crowd watched fireworks in the Ferry Grider Homes on Donovan Drive. Shaquille was hit in the head. He was rushed to Children’s hospital but died a few days later from his injuries. Two others were injured. Shaquille family laid him to rest last Saturday. The funeral was held at True Bethel Baptist Church where the Rev. Darius Pridgen preached the eulogy.
Before slavery ended, newly established police departments were deployed to maintain a racial hierarchy system, beginning a long history of racially biased control of Black people that continued during Reconstruction, through the era of lynching and segregation and to the present. The rise of policing centered on the preservation of slavery. “Slave patrols” in the North and South focused their efforts on apprehending and returning “runaway slaves” to slave owners, deterring revolts by enslaved people and maintaining discipline and control. Although slave patrols were abolished at the end of the Civil War, their racially violent functions were assumed by White vigilante organizations and soon took root in police departments across the US. The rise of police forces in the U.S. during the early 19th century was spurred by the growth of cities and the abolition of slavery in the North. The first American police department was established in Boston in 1838 and was more focused on responding to disorder than crime. As African Americans fled the Jim Crow South in the late 29th century and early 20th century, Continued Page 15
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