Traverse City Vigil Calls For United Stand Against Racism

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - Residents of a predominantly white community in northern Michigan are speaking out against racism in response to a white supremacist rally that spiraled into deadly violence in Virginia.

Hundreds attended a candlelight vigil Sunday night in Traverse City, some carrying U.S. flags and placards with slogans such as "Hatred is not a family value."

Organizer Betsy Coffia said white Americans such as herself should show solidarity with racial and religious minorities instead of being apathetic and remaining on the sidelines.

Marshall Collins, who is black, said racism is a problem in northern Michigan and elsewhere across the nation, not just in the South.

Roger Dunigan, who attended the vigil, telling 9 & 10 News in Cadillac he thinks people need to speak up and stand up in support.

Other vigils and rallies seeking to counter the violence in Virginia took place Sunday in Michigan, including in the Detroit area, Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo.

(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)