The original wooden Emanuel AME Church
Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, is not just the latest location to be visited by domestic terrorism in our country—it is a deeply rich American treasure. In fact, including the horror that has just befallen this church, few institutions are as quintessentially American as Mother Emanuel—as it is so affectionately called by those who know and love it.
One of the primary ports for the trans-Atlantic slave trade, Charleston was an international human-trafficking hub. Hundreds of thousands of Africans were brought to the South Carolina shores and sold on the streets of this South Carolina town like one would buy bread or milk today. While many of these African women, men and children were taken from Charleston to cities and states all over the country, an enormous black community— both on and off the plantations was formed.
In 1816, nearly 50 years before the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery, many African American members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, a predominantly white church, formally left the congregation because of a critical dispute over burial grounds. In 1818, Morris Brown, a black man born in Charleston, formed Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Nearly 4,000 African Americans from all over Charleston then left their predominately white churches and joined Emanuel.
One of the founding members of Emanuel AME Church was Denmark Vesey. In 1822, Vesey was leading what would have been the largest slave revolt in the history of the United States. When law enforcement found out about the plan, Vesey and five others were executed. So afraid of the organizing role Emanuel AME played in this plot, white supremacists burned it down. While the church was rebuilt, just about 10 years later, in 1834, all-black churches were outlawed in Charleston and Emanuel AME was forced underground. There, it not only survived, but thrived all the way until the end of the Civil War in 1865. It was at this point that the church took on the name we know now. Having played an important role in the Underground Railroad, the church continued to serve as a beacon of light and hope for African Americans in Charleston and throughout the region.
Now painful to watch, here is a video of slain pastor and State Senator Clementa Pinckney speaking about the rich history of Emanuel AME Church.
According to the church:
The wooden two-story church that was built on the present site in 1872 was destroyed by the devastating earthquake of August 31, 1886. The present edifice was completed in 1891 under the pastorate of the Rev. L. Ruffin Nichols. The magnificent brick structure with encircling marble panels was restored, redecorated and stuccoed during the years of 1949-51 under the leadership of the Rev. Frank R. Veal. The bodies of the Rev. Nichols and his wife were exhumed and entom[b]ed in the base of the steeple so that they may forever be with the Emanuel that they helped to nurture.
Elders of Emanuel AME
The deep impact and
rich history continued:
Booker T. Washington spoke there in 1909 to a large audience of both white and black admirers. In 1962, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speach about voting rights and making the “American dream a reality.” So did Roy Wilkins, as executive secretary of the NAACP. In 1969, as Charleston was in the midst of a massive strike aimed at creating a union for the state’s mostly black hospital workers, Coretta Scott King led a march from Emanuel A.M.E.’s steps while 1,000 state troopers and national guardsmen looked on.
Dr. King preparing to speak at Emanuel AME
Reverend Clementa Pinckney, the current pastor who was murdered on Wednesday, was very much in line with the rich history of Mother Emanuel. A state senator, Rev. Pinckney skillfully wove together faith and activism. Not only serving the church and the community through sermons, Rev. Pinckney was
a primary advocate for a recent South Carolina Bill advocating body cameras for police officers in the wake of the police shooting of Walter Scott.
Of all of the losses and challenges faced by Mother Emanuel, none have been as deep and wide as this one. Not even when Denmark Vesey was killed alongside others have this many leaders from the church been killed. To lose their pastor, additional staff members, and key leaders in such a violent way, rips at the soul of this beautiful institution. But this church, which has endured so much and done so much for African Americans, will survive.