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Evelyn Hockstein is an award-winning photojournalist who has covered global and national events in more than 70 countries. She is a contributing photographer for The Washington Post and the vice president of Women Photojournalists of Washington. She has done many assignments for The Post, including the inauguration of President Trump, the Women’s March, and a week-long series examining campus sexual assault across the United States.

In August, Hockstein was on assignment for The Post to cover the “Unite the Right” march in Charlottesville, one of the largest gatherings of neo-Nazi, Ku Klux Klan and white nationalists in more than a decade. As hundreds of demonstrators arrived to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, Hockstein witnessed a clash that reminded her of her previous conflict coverage in the Middle East, Kenya and Sudan.

“I prepared myself to witness this horrific display of racism and hate, focused on America’s ugly legacy of slavery and Jim Crow. But I was also shocked by the anti-Semitism on display. Even though I was there taking pictures, it was almost impossible to believe this was happening in 2017. It was like being in Nazi Germany, but it was happening right here in Virginia.”

Foundation Started by Charlottesville Victim’s Mother Promotes Social Justice

The mother of the victim, Heather D. Heyer, said she wanted the country to learn a lesson she had taught her daughter: Disputes can be de-escalated before they become violent.

www.nytimes.com|Yamiche Alcindor

In sixth grade, Heather D. Heyer, the woman killed during the recent unrest in Charlottesville, Va., got into a heated dispute with a classmate who challenged her to a fight after school.

Ms. Heyer’s mother, Susan Bro, said in an interview on Friday that her daughter turned to her for advice, and that she transformed the confrontation into a teachable moment.

Now, through a foundation bearing her daughter’s name, Ms. Bro wants the country to learn the same lesson she taught her daughter: Disputes that careen toward violence can be de-escalated by communicating in a peaceful tone, not compromising personal values and, sometimes, agreeing to disagree.

“We want to see more of that happen and have people recognize that you don’t have to respond in violence. You don’t have to respond in hate. If you see something that is making you unhappy, then speak up about it.”

As part of her efforts to cement her daughter’s legacy, Ms. Bro was traveling to California this weekend to present the “Best Fight Against the System” award on Sunday at the MTV Video Music Awards. The award celebrates activism around issues like environmental justice, immigration, L.G.B.T.Q. equality and racial justice.

The Heather Heyer Foundation was created to honor Heather Heyer, a young civil rights activist, who dedicated her life to promoting equal rights for all people. The Foundation has established a scholarship program to provide financial assistance to individuals passionate about positive social change. Scholarships will be awarded to those seeking a degree or certification in, but not limited to, law, paralegal studies, social work, social justice, and education.