In the face of hate, America should ‘stand up and be the hero’

The World
A photograph of Charlottesville victim Heather Heyer is seen amongst flowers left at the scene of the car attack on a group of counter-protesters that took her life during the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, August 14, 2017.

Wajahat Ali is an author, attorney and son of Pakistani immigrants. He believes that what happened this week in Charlottesville is a crucial turning point in our country.

And it's that moment when, as an American, you have to take a stance.

"Growing up, all of us always said, 'Ah, if it was World War II, we would do the right thing,'" Ali says. "'Oh, if there's a crisis, we would be the hero. If anything went down, we would step up and be the protagonist of the narrative.' This is that moment. This is that turning point. This is that crisis."

Ali shared his thoughts on this week, the president's response and recommendations for how to talk about racism.

Listen to the full interview with The World's Marco Werman above.

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