Brian Higgins: “Last month Buffalo's oldest resident, Mamie Kirkland, passed away at the age of 111. Mamie made Buffalo her home in 1923…”

“Last month Buffalo's oldest resident, Mamie Kirkland, passed away at the age of 111. Mamie made Buffalo her home in 1923 after spending a lifetime outsmarting racism in Mississippi, Illinois, and Ohio. She fled rioting, burning of homes, and the shooting of residents by an angry racist mob. She witnessed the Ku Klux Klan burn a cross on the lawn of her family home. Through these memories she inspired the creation of both the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice. Four years ago Ms. Kirkland was honored at a gala by the Equal Justice Initiative. When asked to speak on her journey, she said: ``I left Mississippi a scared little girl of 7 years old. Now I am 107--and I am not afraid anymore.'' I rise to honor the fearless legacy of Ms. Kirkland for the citizens of Buffalo, a city honored to be Mamie's home. ____________________”