May 16, 2022

The Merc Co+op alongside National Co+op Grocers (NCG) is heartbroken by this weekend’s senseless violence against the Black community in Buffalo, NY in a racially motivated domestic terrorist incident that took the lives of 10 people and wounded 3 more. We grieve with the families of those whose lives were taken and with everyone who is suffering in the Black community. As one grocer to another, we extend solidarity and empathy to the staff and shoppers of Tops Market on Jefferson, where this brutal act took place.

This was the latest in a series of mass shootings that have been fueled by white supremacy, deliberately targeting people based on their race, religion or sexuality. According to the U.S. Dept. of Justice, the number of hate crimes rose over 30% in 2020[1], the last date for which national data is available. Racially motivated hate crimes accounted for nearly 62% of these incidents, with the Black community being the most targeted group[2].

NCG advocates concern for community as one of our core co-op principles and advocates for racial equity. We condemn white supremacy and any ideology that suggests a race or group of people is genetically or culturally superior to another. We call on other companies to join us in standing against the continued spread of racially based oppression, intolerance and violent extremism.

We applaud Tops Market for its efforts to support its shoppers and staff during this time, and although we are competitors in business, we stand together in community.

If you’d like to support the families of those who were tragically and senselessly murdered, GoFundMe has developed a list of verified fundraisers.

Feed Buffalo and FeedMore WNY can help supply the community with food while their grocery store is temporarily closed.

If you’d like to support organizations that fight white supremacy, here are a few to consider:

If you’d like to learn more about white supremacy and how to reject it, here are a few resources to consider:

About NCG

National Co+op Grocers (NCG), founded in 1999, is a business services cooperative for retail food co-ops located throughout the United States. NCG helps unify food co-ops in order to optimize operational and marketing resources, strengthen purchasing power and ultimately offer more value to food co-op owners and shoppers everywhere. Our 148 member co-ops operate more than 200 stores in 38 states with combined annual sales over $2.4 billion. NCG is a winner of the dotCoop Global Awards for Cooperative Excellence and a Certified B Corporation. Find a map of NCG member co-ops. To learn more about co-ops, visit www.grocery.coop.

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Media inquiries may be directed to Eric Davis (edavis@curiousplot.agency, 612-424-7545).

Image: NPR https://www.npr.org/2022/05/15/1099031765/buffalo-shooting-victims