Open Buffalo was established in 2014 as a response to a call from Buffalonians who demanded a city that is equal, just, and free. Four grassroots organizations - Coalition for Economic Justice, Partnership for the Public Good, PUSH Buffalo, and VOICE-Buffalo - engaged in a broad-reaching community process to shape an innovative answer forward. This process led to the creation of Open Buffalo as a non-profit organization to help realize this vision for our city. Since then, Open Buffalo has catalyzed a community movement in Buffalo for social and economic justice.
The Color Run, hosted by Open Buffalo’s Youth Action on Saturday, July 31, was an engaging, fun-filled event for the community.
Sponsoring Councilmember Ulysees O. Wingo Sr. joins Open Buffalo and other concerned community stakeholders in calling on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to bring critical voting rights legislation for a vote in the U.S. Senate.
On Saturday, May 8, Open Buffalo’s Youth Action (YA) hosted a “Save our Children” Community Town Hall. The YA leaders wanted to raise awareness around the narrative that labels missing children of color as “runaways” and how amber alerts are racialized.
On Saturday, May 1, Open Buffalo hosted a “Know Your Rights” Cookout at Martin Luther King Jr. Park for the community to celebrate the passing of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) and learn what work still needs to be done!
Though training, diligence, and teamwork, Open Buffalo youth workers engaged and empowered thousands of people this summer.
Juneteenth 2020 - A message from E.D. Franchelle Parker
Open Buffalo Exceeds 10,000 Reusable Masks Distributed with MLK Park Pop-Up Today.
Buffalo, N.Y. (April 30, 2020) – Open Buffalo and FB Community Land Trust have teamed up to help already struggling city neighborhoods being further impacted by the COVID-19 health crisis. Protective masks, nutritious food, and home disinfectants are among the products residents will receive.
While it is speculated that we haven’t seen the worst of COVID-19, I am confident we haven’t seen the best of what our community will do during these times.
The event marked an important transition point for the organization that was established in 2014.
After five years of social justice advancement in Buffalo, Open Buffalo is poised to take itself to a new level by launching a new three-year strategic plan, a new mission, and a new vision to advance racial, economic, and ecological justice.
This year marks the beginning of early voting for New Yorkers. OB staff and volunteers have launched an initiative to educate voters about important changes to voting rights and access to the polls.
Open Buffalo was invited to join the conference.
Open Buffalo celebrates the passage of new state laws to advance marijuana decriminalization and climate protections, the central campaigns of the organization’s 2019 legislative platform. As a regional movement leader for Western New York, Open Buffalo has invested in community education and coalition-building on statewide advocacy issues to advance its core work for racial, economic, and ecological justice.
Open Buffalo applauds Mayor Byron Brown’s announcement that he will direct the BPD to de-prioritize low-level marijuana possession enforcement, a policy shift championed through the Open Buffalo Justice & Opportunity Coalition’s #BuffaloLLEP campaign (November 2017 through February 2019).
The mayor’s new stance reflects the #BuffaloLLEP mobilization for reform in community forums and petitions from local residents, original action-oriented research, and direct discussions with city policy-makers.
On Saturday, December 8, 2018, Open Buffalo honored 35 outstanding individuals who successfully graduated as Emerging Leaders and Democracy Fellows. With more than 175 friends, relatives, and allies in attendance, Open Buffalo’s 2018 Graduation Day highlighted both cohorts as changemakers who will inspire, organize, and innovate for the future of their communities. This year’s gathering also marked two incredible milestones for Open Buffalo’s Leadership Development division as a whole: the graduation of our 100th Emerging Leader and first class of Democracy Fellows.
Have you heard? Open Buffalo has officially moved! We are starting a new chapter in the historic Jefferson Avenue corridor. Our new headquarters is 1327 Jefferson Ave., Upper, Buffalo, NY.
Come and see us.
Open Buffalo's Emerging Artist Series uplifts underrepresented artists and communities in our city and increases public access to the arts. Muhammad Zaman, an urban artist specializing in calligraphy, opens his exhibition “Lux” through the series, centering on his experience as a Muslim man living and working in the United States. His canvas paintings utilize his three languages of Arabic, Bengali, and English to explore identity and inspire cross-cultural understanding.
Through sustained advocacy, Open Buffalo and partners move the Buffalo Common Council to create the first community-led Police Advisory Board.
Dr. Danielle Johnson of Open Buffalo’s Justice & Opportunity Coalition is named to the new 11-member body, made up of Buffalo city residents.
OB Justice & Opportunity partners commend this important step towards police accountability, a policy recommendation of our 2016 report with PPG and advocacy work with many community organizations. The Buffalo Police Department ‘Strike Force’ has been responsible for many complaints of police misconduct and illegal action, including unnecessary or excessive use of force, unconstitutional traffic checkpoints, and more. Justice & Opportunity partners reiterate the need for full-scale community policing reform in Buffalo.