With the approach of the fifth anniversary of the violent and deadly Aug. 12, 2017 Unite the Right rally that shook the city and the nation, several individuals and groups are hosting or organizing events to recognize its local impact and celebrate community.
An exhibit that began July 18 at the Virginia Holocaust Museum, “There’s Just Us,” presents a photo exhibit by Alec Hosterman. The Longwood University professor captured photos of the deadly protest in 2017. For Hosterman, the exhibit presents the struggle he saw during the weekend when the community fought back against hate. The photos will be on display until Dec. 30.
The “Soul of Cville” is returning this year from Aug. 12 to Aug. 14 and is free of charge. The festival showcases Black culture, dance, music, fashion and more. The opening event of the festival will be a free screening of Spike Lee’s movie “Do the Right Thing.” The festival is still accepting applications to highlight Black-owned businesses.
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A curated photo exhibition called “Witnessing Resistance” and featuring photos from 2016 and 2017 by Charlottesville photojournalist Eze Amos is running at The Jefferson School. The free event began on July 1 and features 18 printed photographs showcase people peacefully protesting at the white supremacist rally.
Amos said he hopes the photographs will spark meaningful conversations to start healing within the community. The exhibit will be open until Sept. 16.
Amos is also the creator of “The Story of Us” exhibit featuring three dozen large photographs mounted on trees along the Downtown Mall.
Each photo will have a QR code to link viewers via smartphones and the internet to a 3-minute recording of the person in the photo describing their experience during the violent rally. The photos will be installed on Aug. 9 and 10.
Amos will lead two community events, free of charge and open to all. The first will be on Aug. 10 at 6:30 p.m., where he will explain the genesis and rationale behind “The Story of Us” exhibit. He will also offer attendees a chance to share emotions and memories of their experiences during that weekend.
Amos’ second event will be on Aug. 13 at 11 a.m. when he will lead a walking tour of the photos. The tour will meet at the Downtown Mall water fountain at 2nd Street NE.
On the First Floor Gallery in Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, the building will start hosting the “No Unity Without Justice: Student & Community Organizing During the 2017 Summer of Hate” exhibition. It will be available for a visit until Oct. 29, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., but closed on Sundays.
The exhibition is centered around the work of UVa students and Charlottesville community racial justice activists who organized demonstrations and events which resulted in significant anti-fascist victories. The curators are Kendall King, UVa alum and community organizer along with Jalane Schmidt, a scholar-activist and community organizer and the Director of the UVa Democracy Initiative’s Memory Project.{p dir=”ltr”}{span}On Aug. 12, Coming to the Table of Cville is organizing two events in collaboration with the Charlottesville Clergy Collective, Congregate Cville, and the African American Pastors Association. The first event is The Walking Vigil of Remembrance from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., {/span}{span}followed by a “Unite the Light” Interfaith Service held at 7:30 p.m.{/span}{p dir=”ltr”}{span}The events serve as an opportunity to recognize the ways the community fought hate five years ago while acknowledging the trauma and recommitting to Martin Luther King’s vision of a beloved community.
