In 2014, after the Ferguson, MO police killing of 18 year old Mike Brown Jr., organizers in Buffalo cultivated a space for young, Black folk and POC to gather, strategize, and begin building a shared political analysis. Just Resisting (JR) became a political home for 20 and 30somethings, who worked together to abolish the Buffalo Police Department Strike Force and stand alongside Buffalo’s own victims of police brutality, and other injustices. As the work became more pressing, the core of JR wanted to develop a base-building organization that could shift the narrative of policing in Buffalo and build toward an Abolitionist future. Co-founders, Natasha Soto and Shaketa Redden, took up that charge, forming Black Love Resists in the Rust (BLRR).

Founded in 2017, BLRR was organized by many of the original members of JR. As the problematic practices of the United States policing culture became more prevalent and discussed, we put our stake in the work around abolishing policing and supporting those harmed by policing practices in the City of Buffalo.

BLRR develops Black and POC leadership to build a grounded and independent radical left, and develop home spaces in order to enable more organizers of color throughout the City of Buffalo. BLRR is a member-led, abolitionist organization of Black folk and POC that believe – through leadership development, a shared politic, and community organizing – we will build safe and flourishing communities that resist the ills of white supremacist, cis-heteropatriarchal, capitalism; including policing. We ground our work in these four pillars: Transformative Organizing, Healing Justice, Embodied Leadership and Political Education.