Listen to Wes Bellamy’s Story

“I think we're better because of what happened. And that's part of the healing process. Our city, our area, our state, our nation needed to have Charlottesville for the awakening in which we see across the country.”

- Wes Bellamy

Wes Bellamy 

So my name is Dr. Wes Bellamy. I'm the former vice mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia. This particular picture was also taken at Heather Heyer Way. It was written in chalk by someone who was there shortly after the events of August 12th. And what this initially meant to me, I think I have a different approach because there was a rush, in my opinion, for us to move towards the healing process. But I think before we can heal, we have to acknowledge and it was important for us to acknowledge what had happened in our community. White supremacists literally tried to take over our town and one of them actually killed someone. Let's acknowledge that. After we acknowledge that and we understand that this did happen, this wasn't somewhere else, this wasn't on television, this wasn't a show, then we can begin the long process of understanding, empathizing and in healing. I think our town and me personally, all of us, we're still in the process of healing. And healing means different things to different people and whatever that means to whoever sees this: is on you. But I do think it's important for us to understand that we are better after what happened. And unfortunately, I think we're better because of what happened. And that's part of the healing process. Our city, our area, our state, our nation needed to have Charlottesville for the awakening in which we see across the country. This process of healing, of crying, which I do often, feeling angry, but also this feeling of triumph that we did win and we are winning is all part of the journey. So let's keep healing. Cause healing doesn't stop.

Music credit: Sayuri Hayashi Egnell / Kasumi / courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com