On the 17th of June, a decade has passed since the tragic occurrence in Charleston, South Carolina that gripped the nation with shock and sorrow. An extremist with hate-filled intentions of inciting racial conflict stormed into Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on a Wednesday night. He cold-bloodedly shot and killed nine African American worshippers, devoutly engrossed in their Bible study. Each of the church members were deeply immersed in prayer when the sadistic attack ensued.
Theodora Watson, a longtime member and attendee of the Bible study that night, was fortunate to escape uninjured. However, the emotional wounds inflicted by the unhinged shooter, Dylann Roof, have proved more persistent. Twice every day, she is reminded of the pain when the church bells toll, each chime honouring one of the ‘Emanuel 9’ who tragically lost their lives that night.
The victims were a closely knit set of worshippers, namely Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Cynthia Graham Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lee Lance, Depayne Middleton-Doctor, Tywanza Sanders, Daniel Simmons, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton and Myra Thompson. Despite the brutal loss, five other members were fortunate to escape from the clutches of death: Polly Sheppard, the mother and a young daughter of Tywanza Sanders, and Jennifer Pinckney with one of her daughters.
Melvin Graham, who lost his sister Cynthia Hurd in the massacre, reflects the sentiments of all those affected. He expresses the sense of violation the heinous act caused on their place of worship, on their sacred familial bond and the cohesiveness of the community. As a decade has passed since the incident, the painful recollections of the bloodbath remain vivid for those who survived, making it a daily struggle to uphold the church’s philosophy of extending warm reception to strangers.
Leading the efforts to cope with the perpetual trauma, the incumbent Pastor, Rev. Eric Manning, constantly lives the grim reminder of the past. He acknowledges, ‘I step into this place every single day, a place that was once a scene of a horrifying crime. The spot where people’s lives were brutally ended.’
Mother Emanuel, a cherished institution in African Methodist Episcopal (AME) faith, stands tall as a cornerstone in the battle for racial justice for centuries. The church’s legacy extends back to the 1800s when it was established by a mix of enslaved and free African Americans. Pastor Manning proactively reinforces the importance of using tradition as a tool for healing, placing emphasis on the encouraging mantra of ‘hope, resilience, and restoration.’
The story of Mother Emanuel reflects resilience in the face of adversity. Despite bearing the weight of tragic losses a decade ago, hope, resilience, and the pursuit of restoration proudly weave themselves into the fabric of the church, underscoring its rich history and arrestingly relevant present.
Mother Emanuel, being the oldest African Methodist Episcopal Church in southern America, holds historical significance in every major event recorded about the African American struggle for freedom. It has been a significant stop for several prominent figures advocating for Black rights, housing the inspirational speeches of eminent thinkers like Booker T Washington, W.E.B. Dubois, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Mourning the loss of Clementa Pinckney, a dynamic leader and the church’s pastor at the time of the shooting, carries a broader, tragic resonance. His life and untimely death echo the painful pattern witnessed throughout the Civil Rights Movement, during which budding leaders were timely eliminated. Clementa Pinckney, noted for being the youngest African American to ever be elected to the state legislature, was serving his fourth term in the state Senate during the time of his death.
Following the devastating shootings, efforts were made to reconcile and heal. A notable measure included the Confederate flag’s removal from the vicinity of the Columbia statehouse. While this gesture indicated some progress, the city continues to wrestle with an oppressive racial history.
The ramifications of the massacre have split Charleston’s chronology into two distinct eras: pre-2015 and post-2015. Both periods tell the tale of the same place but mark the outline of a city that has profoundly changed in the face of adversity.
The decade-long journey from trauma to healing encapsulates the enduring spirit of Mother Emanuel, its members, and the city at large. With each passing day, the church and its people strive to honor the memories of the lost while fostering hope, resilience, and restoration – the pillars of their faith and collective strength.
The post A Decade of Remembrance: Mother Emanuel Tragedy Ten Years On appeared first on Real News Now.
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