By Brianna Patten
The first snow of the season in early December made my Charlottesville street look brand new, laying a clean white sheet over a city with a dirty history.
The cold bit my cheeks as I scraped ice off my car and thought about making hot chocolate and other warm winter treats. So many of my favorite childhood memories happened in snow, and this weather always fills me with nostalgic comfort. I was still grinning as I started the engine and backed out of my driveway, only for my smile to fade when I saw what was written in the snow on a car parked directly in front of my house.
The word “nigger” was etched in ice on the windshield. And if that wasn’t enough, a penis was drawn above it.