Op-Ed: What I Learned from Charlottesville

On Aug. 12, the world’s eyes were on Charlottesville as white nationalists clashed with anti- racist protesters, provoking one man to drive his car into the crowd, injure many and kill one.

But to me, the woman who died wasn’t just a statistic. Her name was Heather Heyer. She attended the “Unite The Right” rally to protest the white supremacist groups who were gathered to object to the removal of the Confederate statue of Robert E. Lee.

And she was my friend.

“Heather was not about hate. Heather was about stopping hatred. Heather was about bringing an end to injustice,” said Susan Bro, Heather’s mother.

When my father, spoke at her memorial service, he spoke about her bold and passionate personality, how strong of a woman she was, and how her smile was contagious. Both my parents worked alongside her at a local law firm in Charlottesville. I would spend many days hanging out with Heather at her desk, talking and laughing. There was never a dull moment with her.

So I was able to see first-hand the impact she had on those surrounding her. She stood for justice and equality. Heather was able to recognize the discrimination that others still face and wanted to make a difference. As one of Heather’s Facebook quotes read, “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.”

So when remembering Heather, I find myself asking, “What can students do to help prevent such a violent incident from happening again?”

We can start by becoming more informed about our government and today’s issues. We can take active measures such as writing our politicians when we disagree about things, learning the facts before speaking or posting comments online, and doing our part in standing up for what we believe in. Students can allow their voices to be heard during community board meetings, public demonstrations, and possibly publishing articles in our local newspapers.

Protests and rallies are great ways to be heard, but we must ensure we never resort to violence in expressing our beliefs. Not everyone will have the same views, and we can all agree to disagree. As Nelson Mandela once said, “No one is born hating another person…people learn to hate.” But hate only prolongs and worsens the problems, while kindness is much easier and more positive in its effects.

Heather’s death has not only impacted my family, but also the nation. People from all over the world have come together and taken notice of the hatred that occurred that day in Charlottesville. Aside from the flowers, gifts and cards that were received, there were rallies held in Heather’s honor all across the globe.

“They killed my daughter to shut her up. Well, guess what? You’ve just magnified her,” said Susan Bro.

If I could somehow, someway, share the feeling of love that Heather had for people, I would. She managed to see the good in everyone she met. Although her life was taken away by hate, we cannot allow hate to win.

Update: There was a benefit concert at Scott Stadium on Sept. 24 for the events that happened in Charlottesville, which raised around $1.5 million to support those affected by the violence. Coldplay, the Dave Matthews Band, Stevie Wonder, Arianna Grande, Justin Timberlake, Ferrell, and the Roots were some of the bands who participated.