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Dear Friends and Supporters,
Today we remember the violence, hatred and bigotry that was brought to Charlottesville, Virginia two years ago. On this date, the life of Heather Heyer was taken by James Alex Fields Jr. a white supremacist who traveled from Ohio to participate in the Unite the Right protests, and who has since been sentenced to two life sentences plus 419 years for his despicable actions.
The events of August 11 and 12, 2017 are etched in the nation’s memory, and the violence and aftermath of those days continue to shape the white supremacist groups and individuals who were on the ground, as they struggle to reinvigorate and reimagine their movement. We know that most of those who were in Charlottesville two years ago have not given up their adherence to this ideology of hate. And ADL has remained vigilant in our commitment to tracking, monitoring and
analyzing those individuals and groups committed to sowing the seeds of division and discord.
We are invested more than ever in fighting hate for good, building resilient communities across our nation, and confronting and combatting extremism. We continue to work with cities and towns, elected representatives and law enforcement agencies, community activists and business leaders to ensure that they are equipped with resources to address these threats to our public safety and well-being.
Last year, at our ADL In Concert Against Hate, we honored Susan Bro, Heather Heyer’s mother, who tirelessly advocates for justice, resilience and vigilance in the fight against hate. Since then, ADL has had the privilege of joining alongside Susan in a shared push for stronger legislation to confront bias-motivated crime, and bring awareness to the very real threat posed to our communities by white supremacy and white nationalism.
Today, it is with a heavy heart, and renewed conviction that I write you, grateful for your continued support for ADL’s work to fight hate for good.
Sincerely,
Doron F. Ezickson
ADL Washington, D.C. Regional Director
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