*By Christian Smith*
A year after white supremacists marched through Charlottesville, Va., the country has seen a rise in racism, said Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter.
But Cullors told Cheddar's Baker Machado she is heartened by the many Americans who are confronting alt-right extremists.
"We continue to see an upsurge in racism, but we also see an upsurge in people fighting back," Cullors said Monday, adding that more women and people of color are running for office and making their voices heard.
Counter-protesters far [outnumbered](https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/12/us/unite-the-right-charlottesville-anniversary/index.html) the few dozen alt-right demonstrators who gathered in Washington on Sunday for the "Unite the Right 2" rally on the anniversary of the Charlottesville riot. Cullors said that was a victory for Black Lives Matter and other groups trying to blunt racist forces and defend democracy.
"We're seeing so many groups ー Muslim groups, black communities, Latino immigrants, black immigrants ー joining together in this moment to stand up for our rights to say, 'this is our country too.'"
Although she said Sunday was a triumph, Cullors added there is significant work ahead.
"We still have a white supremacist in office, and we're still dealing with an administration that continues to be anti-black and anti-immigrant."
In preparation for the midterm elections this November, Black Lives Matter chapters ー specifically in the Southern and Midwest regions ー are putting their weight behind progressive candidates.
For full interview, [click here] (https://cms.cheddar.com/videos/VmlkZW8tMjIwMTY=).
In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Anne del Castillo, commissioner of the NYC Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), joined Cheddar News to discuss her role in helping bring back the city's entertainment industry after the pandemic.
Cheddar News anchor Hena Doba joins Fern Mallis, founder of New York Fashion Week, for a walk-and-talk touching on the origins of the weeklong event and how it became one of the biggest celebrations of fashion in the world.
Ralph Yarl — a Black teenager who was shot in the head and arm after mistakenly ringing the wrong doorbell — walked at a brain injury awareness event in his first major public appearance since the shooting.
With high expectations, Disney's live-action remake of The Little Mermaid did anything but flounder at the box office.
Tenzing Norgay, who shares the honor of first ascent with a New Zealander he guided, was honored with Kami Rita, who submitted the mountain for the 28th time this summer, and Sanu Sherpa, who has twice climbed all of the world's 14 highest peaks.
Opponents say it will harm seaweed, desecrate ancient Hawaiian remains, and waste water.
The deaths of two horses over the weekend join 10 others within the last month at the home of the Kentucky Derby.
Lionsgate confirmed that it's working on another John Wick movie.
StubHub has compiled a list of the top 10 most in-demand concerts for the summer season, with Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Morgan Wallen, Bruce Springsteen and Coldplay rounding out the top five.
The federal government is giving away for free some historic lighthouses and is also auctioning some of them off too.
