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On February 20, 2025, the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life welcomed Eric Martin of Loyola Marymount University to give the 22nd Annual Prophetic Voices Lecture. His talk, 鈥淐hristian Antifacism in Charlottesville,鈥� reflected on and explored the events at the Unite the Right Rally, a white supremacist rally that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017.聽

Martin began by giving the context of the event in Charlottesville, noting that it was the largest white supremacist rally in modern American history. With the election of President Trump as a key motivating and instigating factor, the goal was to bring together in person different white supremacist groups. Members of the rally actively flaunted fascist, racist, and antisemitic views. The rally was met with anti-fascist protesters, many of whom were Christian religious leaders, including Eric Martin himself. In light of his proximity to the events, Martin鈥檚 lecture included both storytelling and theology.聽

Martin emphasized that Charlottesville was not a one-off event. But in the midst of many hate-motivated gatherings, there are examples of religious leaders gathering for anti-fascist or anti-racist causes. Sadly, despite the involvement of some religious leaders, many local churches chose to ignore the Charlottesville rally. Reverend Smash, a pastor in the United Church of Christ,聽 took on a leadership role. She emphasized to the counter-protestors the uncivil nature of Jesus in the Gospels, encouraging fellow Christians to follow in the steps of Jesus via participation in resisting the hate of the protest. Reverend Osagyefo Sekou also played an important role by leading counter-protesters in combating violence with nonviolence. The group's goal was to block off the park where the Unite the Right Rally would occur, but a small group was able to get through. At that moment, Sekou began singing 鈥� a favorite method for disempowering violence. Many religious and non-religious counter-protestors joined in. Then they actively confronted the fascist group by joining together to block the entrance into the park in what Martin called 鈥渁 sacred offensive.鈥� Another religious leader, Traci Blackmon, preached to the counter-protestors before the event. Drawing on the story of David and Goliath, she emphasized that we should not celebrate victories too quickly. Christians must combat and face issues of injustice, which involves a long and arduous fight.聽

After the lecture, Martin engaged the audience in a rich Q&A session. Several audience members asked questions about the presence of statues of Confederate leaders. Martin noted that the impending removal of the statue of Robert E. Lee was part of what ignited the fascist rally. Another question regarded the categories of 鈥渃ivil鈥� and 鈥渦ncivil,鈥� and what those terms meant to the counter-protestors, in particular. Martin argued that uncivility should be embraced by counter-protestors, because uncivility involved peacefully disobeying oppressive laws and policies. Overall, Martin鈥檚 lecture gave important insight into the theologies and values of those who protested against the Unite the Right Rally, and showed how their faith formed their responses to injustice.聽