Photo: Eze Amos.
Eight years after A12, Charlottesville is still in the national dialogue. And while she wasn’t in town (or the country) for the anniversary this year, local author Deborah Baker says it has been top of mind for her as she discusses her book, Charlottesville: An American Story, around the world.
“I actually haven’t heard from very many people [locally],” she says of her book, which, according to her publisher, is an “account of what unfolded that weekend, focusing less on the rally’s far-right leaders than on the story of the city itself.”
“But the few who have read it cover to cover have been uniformly positive,” says Baker. “I understand why those who are close to the story may not want to revisit those days.”
Since the book’s June 3 release, Baker has been on the road.
“People either want you to be a pundit or a prophet, and I’m neither,” she says.
Baker may not have all the answers, but she welcomes questions from younger attendees.
“So many of the people that I interviewed and talked to for this book are half my age, they grew up with algorithms … whereas most of the audience are older,” says Baker. “I think it’s really important to hear from young people about what’s happening in their lives, their social media feeds, and the feeds of their schoolmates—especially their male schoolmates.”
Her most recent audiences in Edinburgh, Scotland drew parallels between the characterization of Palestine Action as a terrorist group and the portrayal of “Antifa” by the Fusion Center and Charlottesville city officials prior to Unite the Right.
Looking forward, Baker says community-building is key to opposing extremism, in and beyond Charlottesville.
“One of the lasting effects of Unite the Right on Charlottesville is you now have this really powerful community still working in real ways to protect each other and show up for each other,” she says.
Baker will be back in town to discuss her book at the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library on August 23.
