At the anniversary of the Charlottesville protests and some of us are wondering what we’ve learned.
Susan Bro, the mother of Heather Heyer – the woman killed at last year’s protests – has since become an outspoken activist and offers us advice: keep fighting. She started the Heather Heyer Foundation, an organization that helps young adults who are passionate about social justice.
“I turned my attention to carrying forth her message,” BRO told USA Today. “You don’t get to silence my kid and get away with it. I’m going to speak even louder.”
On the anniversary of her death, Bro ignored the public upset and spent the day bringing flowers to Heyer’s grave and attended a NAACP meeting.
Susan Bro, Heather Heyer’s mother. Photo: Shelby Lum/RTD
It’s true – sometimes being our best activist selves means tuning out what doesn’t serve us.
The Southern Poverty Law Center published a guide that is worth referring to, called Ten Ways to Fight Hate: A Community Response Guide.
There are ways to balance self-care while fighting hate (in fact, we’d argue that self-care is itself a form of activism) and their guide serves up many ways to stay vigilant.
Be very tactful with your activism and use it to build bridges among diverse communities and platforms.
Federal judge says AZ law that shut down a Mexican-American Studies program violated students’ constitutional rights https://t.co/DaL0SkIh5m
We’re all frustrated, but think about how you can channel your anger in a constructive way. Post to church bulletin boards, expose your children to multicultural experiences (Common Sense Media has a host of resources to assist parents in just this), and stay engaged with local law enforcement and political leaders by demanding their presence in tackling hate crimes. In essence – find anything and everything that unifies our communities and celebrates our diversity.
“A united coalition is like Teflon. Hate can’t stick there,” says Chris Boucher of Pennsylvania.
Make time for self reflection and be willing to address personal biases (hey, it’s ok, we ALL have them.) Brokeass Stuart, an SF-based travel writer and TV host, recently published a piece in The SF Examiner acknowledging his duty to stay engaged.
“A lot of us who’ve already been involved in the struggle for equality and equity feel like we’re doing the best we can. But we can always do more. I can do more. You can do more. And this is the time to do it.”
Self-education and activism isn’t something we need to do alone. Seek out your community for support and inspiration. By working together we will always be stronger than those who seek to divide us.
Do it for Heather Heyer, Susan Bro, and the countless other folks whose names we must say, over and over again.
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