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UW President recalls 1979 death of brother

In this photo taken, Sept. 23, 2015, University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce smiles during an event at the Microsoft Campus in Redmond, Wash. (Ted S. Warren / Associated Press)
Associated Press
In this photo taken, Sept. 23, 2015, University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce smiles during an event at the Microsoft Campus in Redmond, Wash. (Ted S. Warren / Associated Press)

SEATTLE – The violence in Charlottesville this past weekend struck a deeply personal and painful chord for the president of the University of Washington.

Ana Mari Cauce issued a statement Monday saying the weekend was difficult for all who believe in justice and equity. But the death of a young protester sparked memories of her own family’s loss.

Cauce said: “The images of the Klan, Nazis and neo-Nazis brought me back to the horror of almost 40 years ago to another Saturday morning when people from these same groups murdered my own brother, Cesar, then 25.”

Cesar Cauce and four others were killed during a protest against the Ku Klux Klan and American Nazi Party in North Carolina in 1979, which became known as the Greensboro Massacre.

Ana Mari Cauce says we’re at a time in our country’s history when we must recommit to inclusion and equality.