Memorial services held for activist Heather Heyer as racial unrest continues to mount following her murder as a counter-protester by a White nationalist at a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia....Heyer's mother said that "they tried to kill my child to shut her up"....By editor Kathy Wray Coleman of Clevelandurbannews.com, Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, and Imperialwomencoalition.com, Ohio's Black digital news leaders
CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM- CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINA-Memorial services were held Wednesday for Heather Heyer, the 32-year-old Charlottesville, Virginia paralegal killed opposing racism by White nationalists at a contentious rally in the city last Saturday as racial unrest continues to mount nationwide.
Heyer was run over as suspected murderer James Alex Fields Jr. plowed his car into a crowd of counter-protesters at the rally, leaving Heather dead and 19 others injured.
Fields, 20, was denied bail at his arraigned this week on charges of second-degree murder, three counts of malicious wounding and one count of hit and run.
Hundreds gathered at the Paramount Theatre in Charlottesville on Wednesday to celebrate a life taken too soon.
Among them were dignitaries, including Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, activists, friends, family members, and colleagues.
Holding back tears, Heyer's father, Mark Heyer, said his daughter loved people, and that he is truly proud of her. And he called for peace as tensions mount nationwide following insensitive comments by President Trump, who is blaming both sides, even the non-violent protesters that appeared at Saturday's rally in good faith to call for an end to racism and bigotry in America.
"She wanted to put down hate," Mark Heyer said of his daughter. "We need to stop all this stuff and forgive each other. I think that is what the Lord would want us to do."
"She paid attention," said Heather's mother, Susan Bro. " She made all of us pay attention."
Her mother said that Heather became a target of White nationalists due to her outspokenness.
"They tried to kill my child to shut her up," said Bro. "Well guess what, you just magnified her."
She went on to say that, regarding racism and bigotry in America, " we must have the uncomfortable dialogue."
And she said that her daughter's untimely death was not in vain
"I'd rather have my child, but by golly if we are going to give her up we are going to make it count," said Bro in garnering a standing ovation.
Heather's mother and father called on activists and others to carry on the fight for equal opportunity and equal justice and to stand up for Civil Rights against hate groups.
Rallies have been held across the nation following the death of Heather Heyer last weekend, including in Cleveland, Ohio, where activists, area clergy, Black leaders and elected officials, and others, have called for an end to racism and bigotry.
, Ohio's most read digital Black newspapers with some 4.8 million readers on Google Plus alone. And the ClevelandUrbanNews.Com website stats reveal some 26 million hits since 2012. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, and who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.
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