Murder of Heather Heyer Only "Magnified Her," Mom Tells White Supremacists
In powerful eulogy, mother of victim killed in Charlottesville calls on Americans to fight injustice
Flowers, candles and chalk-written messages surround a photograph of Heather Heyer on the spot where she was killed and 19 others injured when a car slammed into a crowd of people protesting against a white supremacist rally, August 16, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
In a powerful speech at her daughter's funeral procession on Wednesday, Susan Bro—the mother of Heather Heyer—called on Americans to continue Heather's work by fighting hatred and injustice.
"I'd rather have my child, but by golly, if I gotta give her up, we're gonna make it count."
—Susan Bro"You poke that finger at yourself like Heather would have done, and you make it happen," Bro said. "You take that extra step and you find a way to make a difference in the world!"
"Say to yourself, 'What can I do to make a difference?' And that's how you're going to make my child's death worthwhile," Bro continued. "I'd rather have my child, but by golly, if I gotta give her up, we're gonna make it count."
Heather Heyer's mother concludes: "I'd rather have my child, but by golly, if I gotta give her up, we're gonna make it count." pic.twitter.com/Bg6aM9JzPE
— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 16, 2017
Heyer was killed on Saturday by Nazi sympathizer James Fields Jr., who was charged with second-degree murder as the alleged person who slammed his car into a crowd of anti-racist demonstrators in Charlottesville, Virginia.
"You tried to kill her to shut her up," Bro said, addressing white supremacists. "Well guess what? You just magnified her."
Watch her full remarks:
The full remarks of Susan Bro, mother of Heather Heyer, who was murdered by a white supremacist/Neo-Nazi in Charlottesville, VA. pic.twitter.com/KlJjLI8hOH
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) August 16, 2017