Charlottesville resistance 'knocked the alt-right back on its heels,' says prof

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While the city of Charlottesville, Va., continues to grapple with the trauma of last year's Unite the Right rally, one professor argues that amid the violence, counter-protesters achieved their aims.

"The counter-demonstrations in Charlottesville — although they had tragic results — they were successful," said Jalane Schmidt, an associate professor at the University of Virginia.

"They knocked the alt-right back on its heels."

Schmidt was among counter-protesters who faced throngs of white nationalists at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville last year, leading to violent clashes and a deadly attack.

Heather Heyer, 32, was killed and dozens were injured when a car plowed into a crowd of counter-protesters. James Alex Fields Jr. was later charged with first-degree murder and more recently, with hate crimes.

On Sunday, fewer than two dozen white nationalists attended a follow-up rally in Washington, D.C., vastly outnumbered by the thousands of counter-protesters.

"Communities in other locations took a page from our playbook," Schmidt said.

"In Boston, in Gainesville, Florida, in Michigan State, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee — people came out and challenged them in the streets, and this repelled the alt-right."

To discuss the events of last year and their aftermath, The Current's guest host Laura Lynch was joined by:

• Jalane Schmidt, an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia, who was in attendance at the rally last year.
• Claudrena Harold, a professor of history and African-American studies at the University of Virginia.

Listen to the full discussion near the top of this page.

This segment was produced by The Current's Julie Crysler, Donya Ziaee and Allie Jaynes.