VMAs 2017: Heather Heyer's mother and descendant of Robert E. Lee make powerful statement against racism

'I miss her, but I know she is here tonight. I have been deeply moved to see people across the world, the whole world, find inspiration in her courage'

The world may seem shrouded by darkness, but there is still good out there. Fighting hard to make a difference every single day.

That seemed to be the overriding message of this year's VMAs, with stars taking to the stage to send out messages of hope and inspiration, a rallying cry to those who may be able to effect real change in the future.

However, the night didn't solely belong to celebrities, with the most powerful moment seeing two individuals entwined within the horrors of Charlottesville's white supremacist violence come together on stage.

Robert Lee IV, a direct descendant of Confederate general Robert E. Lee, first took to the stage to denounce racism, "America's original sin"; it was Lee's statue that had first inspired the white supremacist protest in Virginia.

"As a pastor, it is my moral duty to speak out against racism, America's original sin," he stated. "Today, I call on all of us with privilege and power to answer God's call to confront racism and white supremacy head on."

He called upon viewers to find inspiration in the Black Lives Matter movement, the Women's March, and in Heather Heyer - the activist who was murdered by a white supremacist in Charlottesville, after a car plowed into a crowd of protestors.

​Heyer's mother, Susan Bro, then took to the stage to deliver a moving speech. "Only 15 days ago, my daughter Heather was killed as she protested racism," she stated. "I miss her, but I know she is here tonight. I have been deeply moved to see people across the world, the whole world, find inspiration in her courage."

She also announced the launch of the Heather Heyer Foundation, "a non-profit organization that will provide scholarships to help more people join Heather's fight against hatred."

The pair were tasked with presenting the prize for Best Fight Against the System, which was awarded equally to all six nominees: John Legend ("Surefire"), Alessia Cara ("Scars to Your Beautiful"), Logic and Damian Lemar Hudson ("Black SpiderMan"), Shailene Woodley and Taboo ("Stand Up/Stand N Rock"), Big Sean ("Light") and Lin-Manuel Miranda ("Immigrants").

"Through their diversity, these six videos show their many ways to take action and many battlegrounds in the fight for social good," Bro added.

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