Book bans, political violence, and other hallmarks of Christian nationalism are not things many people imagine just showing up in their backyard. But that's exactly what happened to Dr. Nichole Flores in her community of Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. Dr. Flores is an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia whose work focuses on justice, democracy, migration, family, gender, and economics. She is Catholic, Latina, and a wife and mother and, like so many residents of Charlottesville, she witnessed the unthinkable when white supremacists with tiki torches marched on her city and killed one young activist, Heather Heyer, in a car attack.

You can learn more about Nichole Flores and Charlottesville in the links below:

Nichole Flores' publications: https://uva.theopenscholar.com/nichole-flores

NPR report on Charlottesville's removal of Confederate statues in 2021 https://www.npr.org/2021/07/10/1014926659/charlottesville-removes-robert-e-lee-statue-that-sparked-a-deadly-rally