Her name was Heather Heyer. She was 32 years old. Her facebook cover photo said “If you are not outraged, you are not paying attention.”
Heather was paying attention. She was not content to sit and watch as evil spread. When the Nazis and the hatemongers came to her town, she said “Not in my town. Not in my America.” And she stood up to be counted and to show them the idea of America is stronger than their bigotry.
Heather died yesterday — still fighting against injustice, racism and hate. She was killed by a coward whose name I will not mention, because he is not the hero of the story.
Heather is.
I pray that when the time comes, that we will all have the courage to stand up against the forces of hate, against those who want to roll back the tide or progress, against who would make America a lesser place. I hope that we can all be like Heather.
She is my hero.
Ways to Help
- Donate to help the remaining victims pay for their medical bills
- Help Dre Harris, a young man beaten severely by white supremacists with metal poles
- Donate to the Charlottesville Chapter of the NAACP