• Privacy Policy

News & Promotions

What's going on in your world?

  • Automotive
  • Entertainment
  • Education
  • Financial
  • Health
  • Home Builder
  • Humor & Memes
  • Insurance
  • Parenting
  • Restaurants
  • Shopping
    • Coupons
    • Special Offer
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Travel
    • Transportation
    • Weather
  • Mobile Apps
You are here: Home / World / SC Church Where 9 Died Was Steeped in History

SC Church Where 9 Died Was Steeped in History

June 18, 2015 By Ellen Smith

The South Carolina church that was the site of Wednesday night’s massacre is steeped in historic significance stretching from the time of slavery to the civil rights movement.

Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, built in 1891, is the oldest of its kind in the South and is listed among the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.

The place of worship, led by the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, turned into a crime scene when police say a gunman opened fire during a regularly scheduled prayer group. Nine people have been confirmed dead and the shooter remains at large.

Emanuel AME Church, known locally as “Mother Emanuel,” played an large role in the development of the city’s religious community for African Americans in the late 1700s and early 1800s, according to their website.

PHOTO: Worshippers gather to pray down the street from the Emanuel AME Church following a shooting, June 17, 2015, in Charleston, South Carolina.

David Goldman/AP Photo 

The original church was associated with a planned slave revolt in the 1820s and the building was burned down during that time.

One of the church founders, Denmark Vesey, organized the revolt, but authorities foiled the plot, which created “mass hysteria” in the area, the website said.

Dr. King at #EmanuelAME. #HistoricBlackChurch #CivilRightsMovement #CharlestonShooting pic.twitter.com/Iu3ihGjQ2V

— The King Center (@TheKingCenter) June 18, 2015

Vesey was among 35 who were arrested and executed as a result, the Parks Service said.

The church’s website states that it held underground worship services from 1834 through 1865, during which time African-American churches were outlawed.

In 1865, the church was formally recognized and it took the name “Emanuel.”

Roughly a century later it was also a flashpoint for controversy.

Civil rights activist Coretta Scott King led an estimated crowd of 1,500 demonstrators to the church in an April 1969 protest, according to “Civil Rights in South Carolina: From Peaceful Protests to Groundbreaking Rulings.” The demonstrators faced national guardsmen with fixed bayonets.

King was not arrested, the book states, but the church’s Reverend was along with 900 others.

 

Source: ABC News – Top Stories SC Church Where 9 Died Was Steeped in History

Filed Under: World

Please Follow & Like Us :)

Facebook
Facebook
fb-share-icon
Twitter
Visit Us
Follow Me
Tweet
RSS

Recent Posts

Colonial Pipeline reportedly paid millions for slow-ass decryption software

When it comes to ransomware, you don't always get … [Read More...]

Advanced tax strategies for startup founders

Peyton Carr is a financial advisor to founders, … [Read More...]

Here’s How To Add Pronouns To Your Instagram Profile In A Few Simple Steps

Instagram is making it so much easier to share … [Read More...]

Copyright © 2025 · News & Promotions, 538 W. 21 St. #91289 Houston, TX 77008-3642 · All rights reserved · Unsubscribe · Log in

Go to mobile version