Democracy Fund President Joe Goldman issued the following statement in response to the events in Charlottesville, Virginia:
“We stand with millions of Americans from all walks of life in strongly condemning the hateful events in Charlottesville over this past weekend. We mourn the loss of Heather Heyer, a young woman who took to the streets in Charlottesville to champion tolerance and equality in our society, as well as the two members of law enforcement who lost their lives working to keep their community safe. We hope for the speedy recovery of those who were injured.
Incidents of heinous racism and nativism have occurred throughout the history of America, and as we saw this past weekend, there is still a segment of our society that continues to embrace these hate-filled ideologies. Recognizing the persistence of these movements within our country is integral to combatting them. For the vast majority of us repulsed by the bigotry that descended upon Charlottesville, we must continue the hard work of ending such hatred and the forces that normalize it.
The Democracy Fund remains steadfast in our commitment to a resilient, diverse, democratic society that defends free speech but reviles racism and political violence. We will continue to support people and organizations working to protect the inherent dignity of each individual and to oppose racism, Islamophobia, and nativism.”