FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 16, 2017
Contact: Brooke Havlik, 212-961-1000 ext. 320, brooke@weact.org
NEW YORK, NY—Just like dirty air or climate change, hate is an attack on a community’s health that threatens the vitality of our entire society. WE ACT condemns the hate speech and domestic terrorism inflicted on innocent victims this weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia by white nationalists, supremacists and members of the KKK. We remember the life of Heather Heyer, who stood up for justice and for her values.
Trump’s well-documented history of bigotry and racism as a candidate, and now as an elected official, has lit the match on a volatile ideology and emerging network of hate groups in this country. What happened this weekend in Charlottesville was not just about a Confederate statue, it is about the warped and abhorrent understanding of racial history in the United States that these statues represent.
From slavery to Selma, from Standing Rock to Charlottesville—there is only one side of history to be on—the side that stands for equality, diversity, and inclusivity. When hate flares up, we stand in solidarity with organizations across the country speaking out for love, safety, and peace. Our unified voices will not be intimidated. We will be louder, stronger, and we will prevail.
We call on ALL our leaders to condemn acts of domestic terror and racial violence, wherever and whenever they happen. We call on Donald Trump to remove white supremacy and its advocates from his cabinet. We call on cities across the country to take down every confederate statue, a symbol of white supremacy.
We invite you to come together with us: WE ACT is holding Stand with Charlottesville: An Uptown Community Conversation on 08/30/2017 at 6PM in NYC. RSVP here.
Can’t make it to NYC? Indivisible is partnering with a number of organizations to Stand in Solidarity with Charlottesville. You can find more local events HERE.
Donate to grassroots: WE ACT supports donations to the following groups, working across the country to end white supremacy:
- You can donate directly to Black Lives Matter Charlottesville here.
- Black Lives Matter is organizing a counter-action in Boston this Saturday. Please consider donating to them here so they can raise their voices against White Nationalists.