Delays for African American veterans monument in Buffalo

Delays for African American veterans monument in Buffalo

ALL NEW AT 5-30 ...BUFFALO IS SET TO BETHE FIRST CITY IN THENATION TO HAVE AMONUMENTDEDICATED TOAFRICAN AMERICANVETERANS.ANNOUNCED BACK IN2017, THEMONUMENT WILLRECOGNIZE THECONTRIBUTIONS OFAFRICAN AMERICANSIN ALL FIVE BRANCHESOF THE MILITARY.NOW, ALMOST THREEYEARS LATER, AND INTHE MIDDLE OF APANDEMIC, SOMEPEOPLE AREWONDERING...WHEREDOES THIS PROJECTSTAND?HERE'S 7EYEWITNESS NEWSSENIOR REPORTEREILEEN BUCKLEY."IT LITERALLY WOULDBE THE FIRSTMONUMENT OF ITSKIND IN AMERICA."STATE ASSEMBLYMAJORITY LEADERCRYSTAL PEOPLES-STOKES SAT NEXT TOTHE SPOT WHERE A1-POINT-6 MILLIONMONUMENT WILL BEBUILT TOHONOR AFRICANAMERICAN WAR VETS."THERE IS NO OTHERMONUMENT THATHONORS AFRICANAMERICAN VETERANSIN EVERY SINGLE WARAND EVERY SINGLEBRANCH OF SERVICE."THE AFRICANAMERICAN VETERANSMONUMENTCOMMITTEE ALREADYRAISED 1-POINT-4-MILLION DOLLARS.THE STATE PROMISEDANOTHER 800-THOUSAND DOLLARS.THE ASSEMBLYAPPROVED 600-THOUSAND, NOW THESENATE MUSTAPPROVED THE REST.BUT PEOPLES-STOKESSAYS SHE EXPECTS ITTO BE APPROVEDSOON...EILEEN"CONSTRUCTION WASTO BEGIN EARLIER THISYEAR, BUT THEN THEPANDEMIC HIT ANDEVERYTHING HAS BEENPUT ON HOLD."THE MONUMENT WILLFEATURE 12-TALLPILLARSREPRESENT ALL 12AMERICAN WARSWHERE AFRICANAMERICANS SERVED..."WE ACTUALLY DFIGHT IN EVERY -SINGLE - SOLITARYWARS THIS COUNTRYHAS EVERY ENGAGEDIN."PEOPLE-STOKES SAYSAFTER WITNESSINGHISTORIC RACIALUNREST... IT'S TIME TOEDUCATE THECOMMUNITY ABOUTAFRICAN AMERICANCONTRIBUTIONS TOOUR COUNTRY...."AND MY FATHER BEIA VETERAN IS NODIFFERENT THAN YOUAND YOUR FATHERBEING A VETERAN - WEFOUGHT FOR THEINTEREST IN THE SAMECOUNTRY.SO WE TOOARE AMERICANS."SADLY, THE DESIGNEROF THE MONUMENT --43-YEAR-OLDJONATHAN CASEY --WHO APPEARED INTHIS MONUMENTCOMMITTEE VIDEO -DIED IN APRIL.BUT HIS COMPANY --SOLID 716 -- WILLCONTINUE HISMISSION ONCECONSTRUCTIONBEGINS.PEOPLE-STOKESREFLECTED ON WHATIT WILL BE LIKE TOSTAND BEFORE THEMONUMENT SOMEDAY..."THERE WILL PROBABLYBE A FEW TEARS MYEYES WILL PROBABLYLEAK."IN BUFFALO, EILEENBUCKLEY, 7 EWN