WASHINGTON — As the one-year anniversary of the deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, approaches, community members, students and groups advocating for racial justice are planning several events to fight back against racism.
The events — which include a poster giveaway, a University of Virginia student rally and a church service — begin this weekend and last through Aug. 12.
The full list of events:
- A “Cville Fights Back” giveaway of 1,000 free posters designed by local artists of color (Sunday, 2:30–4:30 p.m. at Champion Brewery)
- A presentation by several Charlottesville community leaders who recently traveled on a six-day tour of several iconic civil rights movement sites throughout the South (Sunday at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center)
- A panel sponsored by Charlottesville’s Black Lives Matter chapter on the importance of “visible and vocal protest” (Tuesday, 7–8:30 p.m. at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center)
- A lawyer’s panel on free speech and anti-racism (Wednesday 7–8:30 p.m. at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center)
- Congregate Charlottesville “Service for Repair” (Aug. 11, 3 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church)
- UVA student rally (Aug. 11, 7–9 p.m. at the Rotunda on campus)
The events come as organizers of a white nationalist “Unite the Right” anniversary rally have dropped a court fight seeking to challenge the city’s decision to deny that group a rally permit.
Event organizer Jason Kessler said he is shifting his focus to D.C., saying he plans to mark the one-year anniversary of the rally during a “pro-white civil rights” rally in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House, on Aug. 12.
Last August, several people were injured in the melee surrounding the white nationalist rally, and 32-year-old Charlottesville resident Heather Heyer was killed when a man drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters.
