How you can help support Charlottesville right now
Over the weekend, violence broke out in Charlottesville, Virginia.
During a “Unite the Right” rally over the removal of a Robert E. Lee monument, things turned violent between white supremacist protestors and anti-racist counter-protesters. Later that day, James Alex Fields, Jr. was arrested for driving his car into a crowd of anti-racist protesters. One woman was killed and 19 other people were injured.
On Sunday President Trump refused to directly condemn the actions of the white supremacists, surprise surprise. But since then, Attorney General Jess Sessions has since called the “evil attack” an act of domestic terrorism. And on Monday, Trump belatedly stepped up to the plate saying in a televised address from the White House:
“Racism is evil. And those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans. Those who spread violence in the name of bigotry strike at the very core of America.”
At times like this it’s easy to feel angry and helpless, but here’s how you can help.
READ ALSO: Everything you need to know about what happened in Charlottesville
Call your local representatives
One of the best ways to make your voice heard is to call your state representatives and let them know how you feel. And by your state, I mean the state in which you’re registered to vote. Because state representatives are here to represent the voices of their constituents, not some rando who lives 80 miles away.
Tell them that you don’t support violence and bigotry, especially if you live in a state where your representatives haven’t done that already.
Donald Trump may have finally condemned what happened, but that doesn’t mean your voice won’t accomplish anything. The more the people in charge of making politics happen know how you feel, the more they can do for you.
Find out who you should be calling at Call Your Rep.
Donate to the victims
You can donate to this GoFundMe campaign that’s raising money to cover the medical expenses of all the counter-protestors who were injured.
Or you can donate directly to Dre Harris, who was one of the actual counter-protestors who was beaten.
Donate to anti-hate organizations
You can donate to Black Lives Matter Charlottesville. You can donate to the ACLU. Or you can donate to the Charlottesville Solidarity Legal Fund.
Or if you don’t feel like you have any money to spare, you can donate your time to attending a vigil, march or rally near you.
Don’t forget what happened
Thanks to a 24-hour news cycle that feels like it’s just getting worse and worse, we have a short attention span.
If you really want to help, don’t forget what happened this weekend in Charlottesville.
And if you have a family member who voted for Trump or who maybe doesn’t understand why this is such a big deal, talk to them.
And by talk, I don’t mean yell or try to make them feel stupid. Just talk to them.
Yes, it’s awkward to have these discussions, but it’s important. If you need some help, read this first.
