Julia Bottoms is a visual artist based out of Buffalo, New York, working primarily in oils and acrylic. Her work often addresses the topic of race and identity as it relates to one's position in mainstream culture. She views her portraits as an opportunity to counter the harmful stigmas and stereotypes imposed by popular media. Some of her most notable projects include a collaboration with the Buffalo AKG Art Museum for The Freedom Wall, a solo exhibition with the Burchfield Penney Art Center, and the official memorial sculpture of Shirley Chisholm. Her work has been featured in The Buffalo Spree, The Challenger, HBO’s Insecure, online through AfroPunk, EBONY, Hyperallergic, and the New York Times. Additionally, her work has been acquired in the permanent collections of the Burchfield Penney Art Center, the Flint Institute of Art, and the Buffalo AKG Art Museum.

Tiffany D. Gaines is a writer, curator, and photographer interested in highlighting her community’s diverse arts and artists. As the Curator of Community and Collaborative Exhibitions at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, she curates exhibitions that celebrate the artists of Buffalo and the region while bringing their work into the community through collaborative partnerships. Her curatorial interests are grounded in uncovering cultural histories that inspire agency, promote accessibility, and energize an appreciation of the power of art. As an artist, her research and curatorial work inform her photography and its exploration of themes of healing, rebirth, narrative, history, and possibility. Stemming from her experiences as a Black woman in America, her multidisciplinary practice focuses on the most fundamental elements of the human experience to engage new, diverse perspectives and activate the past in ways that can lead to a more understanding and empathetic future. Her writing has been published in Hyperallergic, and her work has been included in exhibitions at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum and CEPA Gallery. She holds a BA in Journalism from Buffalo State University and an MA in Visual Studies from the University at Buffalo.

Ebony M. White, a native of Buffalo, New York, is an active mother and grandmother. She is a graduate of Empire State College, where she earned an undergraduate degree with a focus on Community Health. Ebony has spent over 20 years addressing social injustices that impact the intellectually disabled, youth, and the community at large, navigating social systems to improve health outcomes. Ebony leads various social impact initiatives that seek to counter the injustices that grossly impact communities of color.

Ebony White is a trauma-informed care champion from the Trauma Informed Care Institute of Buffalo, NY, and a recent graduate of the Institute for Nonprofit Practice, where she earned a certificate in Social Impact Management and Leadership. She is also the founder and CEO of ALIGN Consulting, LLC, a community engagement, organizing, and project management agency.
Ebony White is also the Workforce Impact Manager for the Buffalo Center for Health Equity.
 
On 5/14/2022, Ebony lost her uncle (Heyward Patterson), a beloved community member, due to the white supremacist attack at Tops Market. Despite the pain, anger, and disappointment with the societal impairments faced by her community, she has forged ahead resiliently, continuing to give voice to the lost and silenced due to fear/despair. Ebony’s advocacy has led her to Chair the Community Engagement efforts of the 5/14 Buffalo Massacre Community Coalition and several not-for-profit organizations. Her leadership continues to be defined by a contextual understanding of systems that requires immediate dismantling for systemic equity to prevail.  

Garnell Whitfield Jr. is a life-long resident of Buffalo, NY, a life-long member of the Durham Memorial AME Zion Church and proud member of the St. Joe's class of '74. He is one of four children (Robin Harris; Angela Crawley and Raymond Whitfield) of the late Mrs. Ruth E. Whitfield and her surviving husband, Garnell W. Whitfield Sr. who had been married for 68 years until her untimely murder on May 14, 2022 in the racially motivated Jefferson Ave. Massacre in Buffalo, NY. Garnell and his wife Cassietta celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on June 30 and have four children, (Jamarr, Tiffany, Kamilah and Garnell 1ll); nine grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Garnell has a degree in Emergency Management and retired on June 30, 2017 after thirty- four years with the Buffalo Fire Department. During his career, he served as firefighter, Chief Fire Administrator; Deputy Commissioner of Administration and Personnel; Deputy Commissioner of Emergency Medical Services and for the last 8 years, as Commissioner of Fire/Emergency Management. Some of the highlights of his career were hiring his two daughters as Emergency Service Dispatchers and his son as a firefighter.

In September of 2017, he was appointed Assistant Commissioner of Homeland Security and Emergency Services for the State of New York by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, and served for two years, overseeing the State's response to all emergencies, natural and manmade, in the 16 counties of Western New York and the Finger Lakes. Since the murder of his mother and the other nine beloved members of his community, he has become an activist, working to expose and eradicate hate, racism and bigotry of white supremacy and for diversity, equity and inclusion for all people. As a result of this work, he has traveled extensively, speaking publicly, participating in panel discussions, and lobbying for a myriad of racial and social justice issues while developing relationships with many of the families that have also experienced the loss of loved ones through mass violence incidents throughout the country. He has had the honor of testifying during Congressional hearings and meeting multiple times with President Biden and Vice President Harris on these important issues, introducing the President in the Rose Garden for his announcement of the signing of the Bi-Partisan Safer Communities Act—the first meaningful Federal gun safety legislation in 30 years. 

Locally, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute; 5/14 Permanent Memorial Commission; 5/14 Collection Coalition, the Buffalo Together Fund and nationally a member of the Steering Committee for the National Mass Violence Center; Advisory Board member for March Fourth/Aftermath; member of the National Action Network and affiliated with Everytown For Gun Safety, Newtown Action Alliance, March for Our Lives and Brady: United Against Gun Violence.

Mark Talley is an accomplished individual who has made significant contributions to society. After experiencing a personal tragedy with the loss of his mother in a racist domestic terrorist attack, he channeled his grief into positive action. He founded a highly successful socioeconomic nonprofit Agents for Advocacy aimed at addressing the systemic inequalities faced by marginalized communities & authored the book “5/14-The day the devil came to Buffalo”. Through his nonprofit, he has implemented various initiatives to uplift and empower individuals, fostering positive change on a large scale. In addition to their impactful work, they also authored a book that sheds light on their personal journey and serves as a source of inspiration to others. Through his resilience, determination, and commitment to social justice, Mark Talley continues to make a lasting impact in the fight against injustice and inequality.