Heather Heyers' Mother Discusses Her Daughter's Legacy, Racism In America

GOAL, IF I'VE GOT TO GIVE HER UP, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT
COUNT. >> I SPOKE EXCLUSIVELY WITH
SUSAN BRO, HEATHER HIGHER'S MOTHER LAST HOUR.
>> JOINING ME NOW IS HEATHER HIGHIER'S MOTHER.
I'D LOVE IF YOU COULD TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR
DAUGHTER. WHAT HOEMT ARE YOU GOING TO HOLD
ON TO. >> I THINK I'M GOING TO HOLD ON
TO THE STUBBORN LITTLE GIRL THAT I REMEMBER AND THE CONVERSATIONS
THAT WE HAD IN THE LATER DAYS OF HER LIFE, BECAUSE SHE AND I
SHARED A LOT OF THE SAME POLITICAL AND ACTIVIST VIEWS,
AND WE JUST ENJOYED SOUNDING OFF OF EACH OTHER.
SOME OF OUR DINNERS TOGETHER ARE MY GREATEST TREASUREs, BUT
HONESTLY THE LATE NIGHT MESSAGES THAT WE WOULD SEND EACH OTHER
TOO, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU TOO THOSE QUICK LITTLE THINGS.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I HOLD ON TO BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY
REGRETS KNOWING THAT WE HAD THOSE -- SHE KNEW SHE WAS LOVED
ALL THE WAY THROUGH HER LIFE, AND THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME.
>> SUSAN, THE PRESIDENT TWEETED YESTERDAY MEMORIAL SERVICE TODAY
FOR BEAUTIFUL AND INCREDIBLE HEATHER HEYER, A TRULY SPECIAL
YOUNG WOMAN. SHE WILL BE LONG REMEMBERED BY
ALL. HE ALSO TOLD REPORTERS THAT HE
WOULD BE REACHING OUT TO YOU. HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK
WITH THE PRESIDENT? >> I HAVE NOT.
I DID -- WHEN WE GOT HOME FROM THE FUNERAL AND RECEPTION I WAS
COMPLETELY DRAINED, AND WE HAD FAMILY GATHERED AROUND.
I HAD MY PHONE TURNED OFF. WE HAD HEATHER'S DOG, WHO WAS
NOT DOING WELL. WE TOOK TOOK HER TO THE VET.
AND SO I DIDN'T EVEN TURN MY PHONE ON UNTIL AROUND MIDNIGHT
AND THEN I SAW THAT HIS OFFICE HAD CALLED ABOUT THREE TIMES,
AND I HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS SCHEDULED THIS MORNING.
ONE TO SET UP THE FOUNDATION FOR HEATHER'S FUNDS THAT HAVE COME
IN. AND SO IT FEELS AWFUL, BUT I
JUST HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO TALK TO THE PRESIDENT, BUT YES, HE HAS
REACHED OUT. >> OFTENTIMES IN PUBLIC
TRAGEDIES LIKE THIS THE PRESIDENT WILL BE INVITED TO
SPEAK AT A MEMORIAL SERVICE. WAS PRESIDENT TRUMP INVITED TO
THIS ONE? >> NO, MA'AM.
NO PUBLIC OFFICIALS WERE ALLOWED TO SPEAK.
I HAD A MINISTER WHO WAS A COMMUNITY LEADER SPEAK AT HER
FUNERAL AND I ACTUALLY HAD TWO OF THOSE.
AND THAT WAS ALL I WOULD ALLOW. I JUST FELT LIKE THERE WILL BE
PLENTY OF TIME LATER FOR POLITICAL SPEECHES, THAT SORT OF
THING, BUT THIS WAS ALL ABOUT MY DAUGHTER AND HER LIFE AND HER
LEGACY, AND THAT WAS TOTALLY MY FOCUS.
I WOULD NOT ALLOW ANY POLITICIANS TO SPEAK.
AND CERTAINLY ASKED, BUT I JUST SAID NO.
>> TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT. ABSOLUTELY.
YOU SAID YESTERDAY THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING NOW BECAUSE YOUR
DAUGHTER CANNOT SPEAK NOW. WHEN YOU DO HAVE --
>> THAT'S RIGHT. >> -- HAVE A CHANCE TO SPEAK TO
THE PRESIDENT, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO TELL HIM?
>> MY DAUGHTER HAD A MISSION TO MAKE THINGS FAIR AND EQUITABLE
FOR EVERYONE, AND I'M GOING TO CONTINUE THAT MISSION.
AND ANYTHING HE CAN DO TO FURTHER THAT MISSION, I'LL BE
BEHIND HIM. >> WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE
HIM DO? >> I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T KNOW. I WOULDN'T PRESUME TO KNOW WHAT
THE PRESIDENT DOES OR HOW HE DOES IT, SO I REALLY WOULDN'T
TRY TO SPEAK TO THAT AT ALL. >> I DON'T WANT TO MAKE THIS
ABOUT POLITICS, BUT POLITICS IS SO CONSUMING THIS TRAGEDY AND SO
CONSUMING EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN CHARLOTTESVILLE THAT
DAY. THE PRESIDENT WENT ON TO BLAME
BOTH SIDES, AGAIN, JUST THE OTHER DAY SAYING THERE WAS
VIOLENCE ON THE LEFT, THERE WAS VIOLENCE ON THE RIGHT AND
EQUATING THE TWO. DID YOU HAVE A REACTION TO THAT?
>> I DID NOT BECAUSE I'M A PERSON WHO BELIEVES HAVE ALL
YOUR FACTS BEFORE YOU MAKE A STATEMENT, AND I DID NOT WATCH
THE RALLY. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WERE
NONPEACEFUL PROTESTORS THERE. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE KKK
AND OTHERS WERE DOING. I SAW A FEW SOUND BITES OF THE
SAME PEOPLE FIGHTING BUT IT WAS THE SAME SOUND BITE OVER AND
OVER AND OVER. I DO KNOW THIS THE POLICE
INDICATED TO ME THAT THE GROUP HEATHER WAS IN WAS A PEACEFUL
GROUP. THEY WERE CROSSING THE STREET.
THEY WERE KIND OF ACTUALLY DISBANDING AND SO WHETHER THERE
WAS VIOLENCE ON BOTH SIDES OR NOT IS IRRELEVANT.
THE GUY MOWED MY DAUGHTER DOWN. SORRY, THAT'S NOT EXCUSABLE.
>> YOUR DAUGHTER WAS THERE PROTESTING HATE.
SHE WAS PROTESTING RACISM. SHE IS PROTESTING THIS WHITE
NATIONALIST PROTEST THAT WAS TRYING TO SAVE A STATUE OF THE
CONFEDERATE PRESIDENT. THERE ARE OTHER NATIONALIST
MARCHES PLANNED FOR OTHER CITIES IN THIS COUNTRY.
WHAT DOES IT SAY TO YOU ABOUT WHERE WE ARE AS A COUNTRY?
>> WHAT THAT SAYS TO ME IS THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO FEEL MARGIN
ALIEGSD, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO FEEL THEIR VOICES ARE NOT BEING
HEARD, AND I THINK THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO SIT DOWN AND
HAVE AN HONEST AND PAINFUL DISCOURSE.
WE NEED TO LISTEN TO EACH OTHER, STOP THE NAME-CALLING.
ONCE YOU PUT SOMEBODY INTO A NAME, YOU PUT THEM IN A BOX AND
THEN YOU CAN PUT THEM ON A SHELF AND YOU DON'T REALLY TO LOOK AT
THEM. BUT PEOPLE ARE MUCH MORE
COMPLICATED THAN THAT. SO AS MUCH AS I DID HE TEST WHAT
THE NATIONALISTS SEEM TO BE TRYING TO SAY, THEY HAVE A VOICE
THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO EXPRESS AND SOMEBODY NEEDS TO FIND OUT
WHAT IT IS THAT'S BOTHERING THEM IN THE SAME WAY ANY GROUP -- I
THINK ALL GROUPS NEED TO START TALKING TO ONE ANOTHER, STOP THE
PUNCHES, STOP THE KICKING, STOP THE -- ONCE YOU'VE THROWN A
PUNCH, ONCE YOU'VE THROWN A KICK, HURLD A ROCK, YOU'VE
BECOME IRRATIONAL. AND I'M LOOKING FOR HONEST AND
PAINFUL DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT'S BOTHERING EVERYBODY, BECAUSE
THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE. WE'RE ALL BOTHERED, SO LET'S
FIGURE OUT WHAT THE SOURCES OF THAT PAIN AND HURT AND ANGER
ARE. >> SUSAN BRO ALSO TOLD ME THAT
HER DAUGHTER WAS WORRIED ABOUT GOING TO THAT MARCH, THAT SHE
KNEW SHE COULD HAVE BEEN

Heather Heyers' Mother Discusses Her Daughter's Legacy, Racism In America | MSNBC

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