Charlottesville comes together for a candlelight vigil
There's nothing that can undo the harm done by the white supremacist rally that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the weekend.
Three people are dead. Others have to live with the fear of violent racism. But during a vigil Wednesday night in Charlottesville, people gathered in the name of peace.
Here, on the University of Virginia campus, the crowd sings "This Little Light Of Mine."
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More than 1,000 people took to the streets, according to local NBC News reporter Victoria Wresilo.
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Holding candles, they retraced the route that racists marched down Friday holding tiki torches.
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Of course, singing songs and holding candles does nothing to dismantle the deep structural racism that allowed for this weekend's tragic events to happen in the first place. It won't stop Donald Trump from doubling down on defending people who marched with neo-Nazis and members of the KKK.
Issuing "thoughts and prayers" might make people feel better about what happened, but it won't stop it from happening again. Once we've mourned and comforted each other, it's time to take action -- or, sadly, we'll end up in the same place.
Topics Social Good Politics
Keith Wagstaff is an assistant editor at Mashable and a terrible Settlers of Catan player. He has written for TIME, The Wall Street Journal Magazine, NBC News, The Village Voice, VICE, GQ and New York Magazine, among many other reputable and not-so-reputable publications. After nearly a decade in New York City, he now lives in his native Los Angeles.
