“They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.
On Saturday, August 12, 2017, 32-year-old paralegal and activist Heather Heyer was killed in Charlottesville, Virginia, while peacefully protesting a white supremacist rally known as “Unite the Right.”
What began as a gathering of white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and alt-right groups claiming to defend Southern heritage, quickly descended into terror. Armed with torches, body armor, and hate speech, the rally was a stark manifestation of America’s deep racial wounds.
Heather stood among a diverse crowd of peaceful counter-protesters, opposing racism, fascism, and bigotry in all its forms. That afternoon, a neo-Nazi drove his car at full speed into a crowd of people, killing Heather and injuring dozens more. It was not just an attack on lives—it was an attack on American conscience.
Why We Remember
Heather’s death was not in vain. Her last Facebook post read:
“If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.”
Her message became a rallying cry for anti-racist activists nationwide, and her life became a symbol of courage against white supremacy.
In the wake of her murder, tens of thousands took to the streets. Memorials were built. Songs were written. Artists and bands like Macabre Americana channeled their grief and rage into compositions that doubled as acts of remembrance and resistance.
The Virginia We Still Fight For
Charlottesville sits in the heart of Virginia—a state rich with history, but also scarred by a legacy of slavery and Confederate monuments. The events of August 12 forced a long-overdue reckoning. Statues were challenged. Policies were questioned. Conversations, often uncomfortable, were ignited in households, schools, and city halls.
This is not just Virginia’s burden. It’s America’s.
Echoes in Our Music
At Macabre Americana, we believe in storytelling through song. Through dark folk harmonies and foot-stomping rhythms, we revisit historical traumas and amplify stories like Heather’s—not just to mourn, but to mobilize. Her bravery reminds us why we do what we do.
Every note, every lyric, is a call to memory. A call to justice.
Call to Action
Let this be more than a memory.
- Donate to the Heather Heyer Foundation, supporting social justice scholarships.
- Educate yourself and others on anti-racism.
- Use your voice. Speak truth. Write. Sing. March. Vote.
“You cannot sit still while others are silenced.”