Written by & Featuring Amiyah King

When New York's Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) Act took effect in early August, allowing terminally ill, mentally capable adults to obtain medication they can choose to take to end their lives, much of the debate centered on the age-old question: is choosing the circumstances of one's death an act of freedom or a violation of something sacred? As a death doula, hospice volunteer and public policy doctoral researcher, I understand why this question troubles people. For those who

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I once assisted a family after the loss of a loved one to overdose. At the time, the cause of death was unknown and no funeral had been arranged. Swelled with emotion and nowhere to put it, the day after the death we met in a grass field near his childhood home with balloons and his favorite liquor. As each balloon rose high above our heads, it became clear to me that they were transforming the family’s grief into something tangible. For one moment, those balloons symbolized

Buffalo is expected to receive national attention soon, for the construction of a monument that will be the first of its kind in the country. Karen Stanley Fleming, the board chair of the Michigan Street African American Corridor, says that this monument will be “an incredible addition to Buffalo’s interpretation of African-American history.” State officials announced this morning at... Read the full story here>>>

It’s not very often when we have a special connection with someone, and you not only hope the best for them but are also moved to act and support them in all their endeavors; you know that pouring into them won’t be for naught, and they appreciate everything you do. I had the pleasure of meeting this beautiful young Lady almost 2 years ago for a Free “Meditation & Tarot Reading” she was offering our community. Even the 4 children there were connected on a new level. It was an

How does Miss Buffalo help young women in WNY? The Miss Buffalo Scholarship Organization raises money year-round to award scholarships to contestants each year. Both titleholders and runners-up receive money. Can you describe your meditation business? Out Your Estimate (OYE)offers social emotional learning events and curriculum through mindfulness and meditation. I believe that proper mental health awareness should be prioritized from childhood on so that major mental healt

Lauren Hardy lives on Buffalo’s East Side, but when possible she does her grocery shopping in Amherst. She said she doesn’t have much of a choice. “The inner city doesn’t have nearly enough grocery stores for us,” she said. “I know if I go to Amherst, I can hit every grocery store I need and get just what I’m... Read the full story here>>>

Officials announced Wednesday that $50,000 in state funds have been secured for the development of the High School Student Ambassador Program, which will aim to increase awareness and fight against the national opioid crisis. The program will act as an extension of the Leaders in Training summer camp program, led by Beth Anzalone, and continue through the academic year... Read the full story here>>>

After eight weeks of bad news, a woman who has seen tragedy and lost her job as a Buffalo police officer is looking for... Read the full story here>>>

Stanley Brown of Angola stepped off a train on his way to boot camp, his all-white uniform turned completely gray from being covered in soot he collected on the way. The 18-year-old was drafted into the Navy in 1943, as a junior in high school. Missing his school dances, games and even graduation, Brown was shipped off to basic... Read the full story here>>>

The mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. that took the lives of 17 people led to a somewhat predictable increase in debates about gun control, school security and mental health. It had at least one unpredictable result: a rise in the number of threats by students against each other and their schools, despite repeated warning... Read the full story here>>>

WASHINGTON — Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday morning at the National Mall in the nation’s capital to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. It was one of scores of similar ceremonies held in King’s honor across the nation. The National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA organized the “A.C.T. To End Racism” movement that will span three days, April 3 to April 5. A.C.T., which stands for awaken, confront, transfor

Nicholas Leathers, a 24-year-old records examiner analyst, recently sat in the children’s section of a Washington public library reading to his 2-year-old cousin, Riley. On its face, nothing particularly significant. After all, for many kids, the library is a place to go find their favorite book. Leathers’ and Riley’s reading session, however, is the result of a unique collaboration that stretches from Riley’s home to the U.S. Postal Service to the city’s library system to

WASHINGTON—Marion Barry was different things to different people. For more than 40 years, Barry was the best and worst of Washington, D.C., politics as a member of the school board and the City Council and as the controversial mayor of the nation’s capital for four terms. He was a convicted crack cocaine user, an abrasive womanizer, but he was also a tenacious fighter for the rights and lives of African-Americans as a civil rights activist and the reigning politician in D.C.

BALTIMORE —As thousands gathered in demonstration for the annual Women’s March in Baltimore, tucked inside the crowd was a special subset of those advocating for change, hundreds of little girls being introduced to the important process of demanding their rights by their mothers. For them, it was a Girls Day Out Read the full story here>>>

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