Today, I wanted to send a quick note about our coverage of the fifth anniversary of the Unite the Right rally of 2017 here in Charlottesville, Virginia. I’ve been so proud of our team at Charlottesville Tomorrow for their dedication to providing reports and essays that we hope help this community move forward.
Our managing editor, Jessie Higgins, explained our editorial choices very well in a spot for our local community radio station, WTJU.
I know almost everyone remembers what happened here. The images of Klan-like torch marchers surrounding activists and students, the brazen violence and intimidation are seared into my mind. I was working in national news at the time, far away in Minneapolis, and still it feels like a turning point in my journey.
But coming here and getting to know so many people in Charlottesville, I’m also very moved by how thoughtful and brave people here have been to not just condemn white supremacists, white nationalism, racist and anti-Semitic violence, but to look deeper at ourselves too. It’s not an easy path, and there is plenty to argue and debate. Still, we press on.
There is a lot of national conversation because the rally and violence here in 2017 was indeed a national event. I hope you can, with intention, look at what our local press is reporting too. This is a great day to check out Charlottesville Tomorrow no matter where you live.
Here’s a great place to start: Jessie’s introduction of our coverage with a full list of our stories this week.