SPLC’s Margaret Huang on Charlottesville Anniv.: 'Hate is alive and flourishing in the United States.'

WASHINGTON — Southern Poverty Law Center President and CEO Margaret Huang issued the below statement on the third anniversary of a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The event drew hundreds of peaceful protesters and culminated when a neo-Nazi drove his car into a crowd, killing Heather Heyer and injuring dozens of others.

“Three years ago today in Charlottesville, Virginia, our nation was forced to recognize an uncomfortable truth: hate is alive and flourishing in the United States. Since that day, we have seen white supremacists become more emboldened and vocal about their intentions for the future of our nation. Today, we see their ideology influencing this administration’s leaders and policies, especially those that directly affect immigrants.

“We must take the necessary steps to reject hate and extremism, to refuse racism and white supremacy, and to heal our country by acknowledging our history of slavery and oppression. Only then, we will be able to commit to ensuring that the hatred witnessed in Charlottesville will never happen again.”

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