Why We Must Take Action After Charlottesville
Take Action Now. That’s my Lao American perspective on this past weekend’s White Supremacist “Unite the Right” march in Charlottesville, Virginia. And yes, this is a Lao American issue. Our Lao American communities are made up of immigrants, refugees, LGBTQ people, and people who are very visibly not White – aka demographics that Klansmen and Neo-Nazis seek to disenfranchise and violently harm. Let’s take action so that we protect each other from violent White Supremacy, and continue the work so that we can fight our own marginalization. As many of you have probably seen, a group of Alt Righters (a euphemism for White Supremacists) from across the country descended upon the University of Virginia’s campus to hold flaming torches, give Nazi salutes, and intimidate marginalized people – all with a permit. As someone who has helped organize marches in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and similar movements, I can tell you that getting a city permit for a rally can be very difficult, and non-violent Black protesters are often treated far more brutally than violent …