The Seattle King County NAACP and the King County Martin Luther King Jr. The Commemoration Committee (MLKCC) will host the second annual “They Will Never Be Forgotten” event at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park in Seattle this Saturday June 11 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
This year’s event will be honoring the Buffalo Ten and other victims of gun violence, calling for greater efforts to remove illegal guns and ban assault weapons. The horrific shootings of recent weeks show the need for sensible gun laws and a culture of gun safety. The Seattle King County NAACP and MLKCC are calling out gun violence as a public health crisis and demand a greater commitment and efforts to eradicate gun violence and allow the communities to heal. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell will be the keynote speaker.
A recent Pew Research study found that the top concern for 80% of Black Americans is gun violence in their communities. According to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office an overwhelming number of shooting victims were male (85%) and people of color (81%), and about half were Black or African American (48%). More than a quarter were between 18 and 24 years old. 2021 saw 612 shootings in Seattle, nearly double the average before the pandemic and the worst since 1990.
The memory of those lost will be preserved by calling out their names, posting commemorative markers, and allowing the stories of their lives to be made known and not forgotten.
