‘You Poke That Finger at Yourself Like Heather Would Have Done, and You Make It Happen’
The mother of Heather Heyer is being hailed as a hero Tuesday afternoon. Heyer is the 32-year old woman murdered allegedly by a white supremacist on Saturday, when he plowed his car in to a crowd of people in Charlottesville, Virginia, protesting white supremacists and neo-Nazis.
Susan Bro, Heyer’s mother, just finished speaking at her memorial that was held in a downtown Charlottesville theater. Her speech was brave and inspirational.
“They tried to kill my child to shut her up. Well, guess what? You just magnified her!” Bro proudly told fellow mourners, to applause, cheers, and a standing ovation.
“This is just the beginning of Heather’s legacy,” she added. “You need to find in your heart that small spark of accountability.”
Bro asked guests to ask themselves what they can do to make the world a better place, and to fight the feelings of not wanting to get involved when they see injustice.Â
“You poke that finger at yourself like Heather would have done, and you make it happen. You take that extra step. You find a way to make a difference in the world.”
“My child had a high school education. My child was no saint. She was hard to raise, because everything was a negotiation – not kidding,” she said, apparently becoming chocked up. “You know waht? She was a firm believer in whatever she beleived. Let’s do that. Let’s find that speak of conviction, let’s find in ourselves that action. Let’s spread this. Let’s have the uncomfortable dialogue.”
“Let’s channel that difference into righteous action,” she urged.
Here’s Bro’s full speech:
After Heyer’s murder, Bro surprised the nation by saying she did not want her daughter’s murder to lead to more hatred. Â
“I want her death to be a rallying cry for justice and equality and fairness and compassion,†she said.Â
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