A rally planned by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday, resulted in the loss of three lives and led to local residents holding vigils on Sunday.

Heather Heyer, 32, was killed and more than a dozen others were injured when a car plowed into a group of counter-protesters on Saturday. Two law enforcement officers were killed when their helicopter crashed near Saturday’s riots.

Events were held across the Triangle in response on Sunday, including vigils in Carrboro, at the historic courthouse in Hillsborough and in front of Silent Sam on the UNC campus in Chapel Hill.

Silent Sam has been a focus of protests in recent years. The statute is a memorial to UNC students who died fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War.

Silent Sam was covered during protests following violence at a white supremacists rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Photo via Will Arrington.

Silent Sam has been spray-painted and blindfolded in recent years as tensions have risen on campus.

While Silent Same still stands, those protests culminated with the changing of Saunders Hall to Carolina Hall. Saunders Hall was named for William Saunders, who was a colonel in the Confederate Army. Protests led by students resulted in the campus Board of Trustees voting to change the name to Carolina Hall in 2015, which did not go far enough for some of those protesting at the time.

There was also a 16-year moratorium on changing names of buildings on campus as the name change took effect, which also drew criticism.

Meanwhile, calls to remove Silent Sam and other Confederate memorials has been blocked at the local level as the North Carolina General Assembly passed a bill recently that says those memorials can only be removed with the legislature signing off.

UNC Chancellor Carol Folt tweeted on Sunday that “violence, racism & hate do not belong on our campuses.”

The Carrboro Board of Aldermen have called a special meeting for Wednesday in order to formally respond to the events in Charlottesville over the weekend.

One speaker at Sunday’s event in Hillsborough was Latarndra Strong, who has been leading the Hate Free Schools Coalition in its attempt to ban the Confederate flag from the grounds of Orange County Schools.

The Orange County Schools Board of Education is set to vote on a revised dress code policy on Monday night that bans clothing or symbols that are intimidating based on “race, color, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, or religious affiliation.”

Monday night’s school board meeting is scheduled for seven o’clock at AL Stanback Middle School.

Photo via Will Arrington

Related Stories
‹
Orange County Communities to Observe Martin Luther King Day Jan. 19. Here's How it Affects Services.
The observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 19 will affect local government services around the Orange County community. Here’s what residents can expect this year: Town of Chapel Hill Most town offices will be closed Monday. Residential trash normally collected Monday will be collected Wednesday, Jan. 21. Curbside recycling collection will […]
Orange County Communities to Interrupt Services for December Holidays (2025)
Communities around Orange County will interrupt their normal service schedules during the upcoming winter holidays. Here’s what customers can expect: Town of Chapel Hill Town of Chapel Hill government offices will be closed from Wednesday, Dec. 24 through Friday, Dec. 26. Residential trash collection will not be affected. Yard trimmings will not be collected on […]
Thanksgiving Holiday to Affect Local Government Services in Orange County (2025)
Thanksgiving will fall on Thursday, November 27 this year, and the holiday will affect several local government services around the Orange County community. Here’s a rundown of what residents can expect: Town of Chapel Hill Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28 are both town holidays. Residential trash collection will not be affected. However, there […]
Labor Day to Affect Local Government Services Around Orange County Community (2025)
Monday marks the observance of Labor Day, which is meant to celebrate the contribution of workers and employees across the United States. With that, the local governments in Orange County will be giving many of their employees the day off, which will affect certain local government services. Ahead of the holiday on Monday, September 1, […]
Orange County Arts Community Set for Uproar Festival Despite Recent Flood Damage
Orange County's Uproar Festival of Public Art returns on Aug. 1 – and it comes as the arts community recovers from catastrophic flooding.
'We Need Help': Orange County Flood Victims Beginning to Pick Up the Pieces
Orange County residents whose homes were flooded during Sunday's storm shared their emotions and what help they need in the aftermath.
Celebration of July 4 to Alter Local Government Services in Orange County
The celebration of Independence Day on Friday, July 4 will affect several local government services in and around Orange County. Here’s a look at what will and won’t be happening that week: Town of Chapel Hill All Chapel Hill administrative offices will be closed Friday. Residential trash pickup will not be affected. Commercial trash will […]
Memorial Day to Affect Local Government Services Around Orange County (2025)
The observation of Memorial Day on Monday, May 26 will affect multiple local government services around the Orange County community. Here’s a complete list of which services in which towns will be moved due to the holiday: Town of Chapel Hill Memorial Day is an official town holiday. Most town and other administrative offices will […]
Uproar Festival of Public Art to Return to Orange County in August
The Uproar Festival of Public Art returns this August to showcase large-scale, bold works of art outdoors in Orange County.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to Affect Local Government Services (2025)
The observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 20 will affect local government services around the Orange County community. Here’s what residents can expect this year: Town of Chapel Hill Town offices will be closed on Monday. Residential trash normally collected on Monday will be collected on Wednesday, January 22. Curbside recycling […]
›