CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- A crossing on Charlottesville’s downtown mall has been renamed in honor of Heather Heyer, the woman who was killed in a white supremacist rally in August.
City leaders and community members joined Heyer's mother, friends, and co-workers at the dedication for Heather Heyer Way Wednesday morning.
The honorary title is for the portion of 4th street, where the 32-year-old was killed when a driver plowed his car into a crowd of protestors. That driver, Alex Fields Jr., of Ohio, was charged with first-degree murder in connection to Heyer’s death.
Charlottesville's Mike Signer read the official proclamation.
“This honorary designation pays tribute to Ms. Heyer's dedication to justice, fairness, equal rights for all and positive social change,” said Singer.
In order to have an honorary street, a person must have made an important contribution to the city or represent part of its history. City Council members approved the renaming in October.
“I'm glad that they recognize what she means to the history of the city, but I'm also glad that she's only a small memorial because she's really only a small part of the rich history of the city,” Heyer’s mother Susan Bro said.
After the dedication, the city released a statement that said Heyer was standing up for social justice and racial equality when she died.
"I'm proud of how she died," said Bro. "I'm proud of why she died. I'm not proud that somebody killed her."
