On this day, Juneteenth, we remember the nine souls who embodied the very essence of Christian faith and values.
They took him in. They embraced him. They fed him the Word of God.
They were so nice to him that he briefly considered aborting 'his mission' -- to kill black people in order to start a race war in this country.
But it's not about him.
It's about them and we honor them on this day -- the symbolic day of emancipation:
Please light a candle for the fallen.
Reverend Sharonda Coleman-Singleton (45)
Mother of three, speech therapist and high school track coach at Goose Creek High School in South Carolina. On Thursday, Sharonda's school threw a party in her honor and remember her as a woman who was always there to help her students and the mother or '3 great kids'. She was always smiling and instilling excellence in her track team, often running besides them as they practiced. Sharonda's oldest son, Chris Singleton, a baseball player at Charleston Southern University recalls the final conversation with his mom just moments before she was murdered. He had last spoken to her by phone during Bible study, asking her where she had hidden the remote control in the house. She whispered in the phone that it was in the closet, so his younger brother would not play too many video games. Chris remembered his mother hours after learning of her death by musing that she 'spent too much time at church', and while 'she was a great coach, she was an even better mother' -- the best mother he could ever have. Rev. Singleton was also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the nation's first black sorority.
Reverend Clementa Pinckney (41)
This is directly from the Emanuel AME Church website and it cannot be better said:
The Reverend Honorable Clementa C. Pinckney was born July 30, 1973 the son of Mr. John Pinckney and the late Theopia Stevenson Pinckney of Ridgeland, South Carolina. He was educated in the public schools of Jasper County. He is a magna cum laude graduate of Allen University with a degree in Business Administration. While there, Reverend Pinckney served as freshman class president, student body president, and senior class president. Ebony Magazine recognized Rev. Pinckney as one the "Top College Students in America". During his junior year, he received a Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson Summer Research Fellowship in the fields of public policy and international affairs. He received a graduate fellowship to the University of South Carolina where he earned a Master's degree in public administration. He completed a Master's of Divinity from the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary.
Rev. Pinckney answered the call to preach at the age of thirteen and received his first appointment to pastor at the age of eighteen. He has served the following charges: Young's Chapel-Irmo, The Port Royal Circuit, Mount Horr-Yonges Island, Presiding Elder of the Wateree District and Campbell Chapel, Bluffton. He serves as the pastor of historic Mother Emanuel A.M.E. in Charleston, South Carolina.
Rev. Pinckney was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1996 at the age of twenty-three. In 2000, he was elected to the State Senate at the age of twenty-seven. He is one of the youngest persons and the youngest African-American in South Carolina to be elected to the State Legislature. He represented Jasper, Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, and Hampton Counties. His committee assignments include Senate Finance, Banking and Insurance, Transportation, Medical Affairs and Corrections and Penology. Washington Post columnist, David Broder, called Rev. Pinckney a "political spirit lifter for surprisingly not becoming cynical about politics."
Rev. Pinckney has served in other capacities in the state to include a college trustee and corporate board member. In May 2010, he delivered the Commencement Address for the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary.
He and his wife Jennifer have two children - Eliana and Malana.
President Barack Obama in his remarks noted that he and the First Lady knew Rev. Pinckney personally and many of his colleagues and friends in both the religious and political words have noted how remarkable he was and that he was often the 'peacemaker' during South Carolina legislative sessions. On a personal note, I briefly watched a video of State Senator Pinckney on the Senate floor from just weeks ago advocating for police body cams in the wake of the Walter Scott shooting. He provided aid and comfort to Walter Scott's family during that time. If he preached in church anywhere close to how he spoke on the Senate floor in that baritone voice of his, his voice will be a tremendous loss to his church, his state, and this nation.
State Senator and Rev. Clementa Pinckney On the SC State Senate Floor
Cynthia Hurd (54)
The Charleston County library system closed all of its libraries on Thursday in honor of Cynthia Hurd who had served as the manager at St. Andrews Regional Library since 2011 and worked at the county’s libraries for 31 years. During an interview, she once said that she liked helping people find the answers and that the best part of her job as a librarian was service because it was about helping people. Ms. Herd also served on the Charleston Housing Authority's board since 1995. Since 2009, she also served as president of Septima P. Clark Corporation, a nonprofit that gives small grants to resident programs for those in public housing. Her colleagues said that she would asked the tough questions, but also had a great sense of humor.
Her brother is former North Carolina state Sen. Malcolm Graham who in a statement said that Cynthia was a great woman of faith who loved to read, was just a 'beautiful, good person' who was the glue to holding the family together after their mother died and would be sorely missed by her family. She is survived by her husband Arthur who is a merchant seaman expected to arrive back in the United States by this weekend from Saudi Arabia.
The Charleston County library system will rename the library she served in her honor.
Myra Thompson (59)
Myra Thompson is the wife to Reverend Anthony Thompson, who is a Vicar at Holy Trinity Reformed Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston. She was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, the second oldest black sororities in the United States. When I find more information on her, I will update this diary. The pastor of Atlanta's Big Bethel AME Church is currently providing support and comfort to first lady Thompson's daughter Denise Quarles who is a member of that church. Bethel's church pastor, Rev. John Foster, said “We’re just in prayer and just in shock to everyone as they were adjusting to the news...".
Ethel Lance (70)
Ethel Lance was retired from her job as a custodian at the Gaillard Municipal Auditorium for more than 30 years, working there from 1968 to 2002. When she wasn't working, she would dress up and take her family to see performances there. She was a cherished mother and grandmother who was pleasant and funny to be around. Her grandson Jon Quil Lance told the Post and Courier newspaper in Charleston that Lance was a hardworking Christian and "the heart of the family."
Mrs. Lance was also a lifelong member of Mother Emmanuel AME church and was the church's caretaker for 30 years as well. She was very dedicated to the upkeep and care of the historic church and would often fuss at folks for leaving scoff marks 'on her floor'. Her daughter Ethel remembers her mother as a strong family matriarch who would tell you if something wasn't right. If you were in the right, she would tell you that you are right and when you were in the wrong? She would let you know that too -- no sugarcoating. She doted on her grandchildren and great-grandchildren by giving them gifts and taking them to the movies.
She is survived by a son, Gary L. Washington, and three daughters, Sharon W. Risher, Nadine L. Collier and Esther Lance, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Her husband Nathaniel Lance (1988) and daughter Terri Washington (53; 2013) preceded her in death.
Reverend Daniel L. Simmons
Reverend Simmons was a member of Emanuel AME Church’s ministerial staff who regularly attended Wednesday night Bible study classes.
As with two other victims, Simmons attended Allen University in Columbia. He was a former pastor at Friendship AME Church in Mount Pleasant and a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. Reverend Simmons was very devoted to his faith who attended Bible study every Wednesday. His granddaughter, Eva Simmons said that they loved him and will miss him and would have more to say but needed to grieve right now. Another granddaughter said that her grandfather was "an amazing man. It seemed like everything that he spoke was pure wisdom… And as a teenager, I need all the wisdom I can get.” She also added this: that she "never really accepted that so much hate is in our country until now; All Simmons go out with a fight."
Her grandfather was the only surviving victim to later die at the hospital.
Susie Jackson (87)
She was the oldest victim of the Emmanuel AME Church massacre and was also the cousin of slain victim Ethel Lance. She was a “longtime church member.” She once served in the choir and was a member of the church’s usher and trustee boards. Ms. Jackson had just visited with family members who reside in Cleveland, OH.
“It’s just hard to process that my grandmother had to leave Earth this way,” Tim Jackson, her grandson, told Cleveland's News Net. “It’s real real hard. It’s challenging because I don’t believe she deserved to go this way. It hurts to process.”
"Her being at the church this late showed her commitment as far as being in a church environment," he said, adding that she was "very well-known around the church" and the neighborhood. He son, Walter Jackson told the Post and Courier that his mother 'was a loving person who held no animosity toward anybody'. Jackson's sister said that Susie had a lot of spunk for someone in her upper '80's and was involved with planning a large family reunion set for July.
Personally speaking, she is totally precious to me. The family has now cancelled that reunion, but I hope that they reconsider and turn it into a celebration of someone they called one of the 'Golden Girls' of their family.
Reverend DePayne Middleton-Doctor (49)
Reverend Doctor had just joined Emmanuel AME Church in March of this year. Her close friend of 15 years, Jackie Starkes described Doctor as person dedicated to her Christian faith who loved God, loved to sing and who loved her four daughters. Starkes said that Doctor could just see what was going on with you and comfort you without words.
Middleton-Doctor, 49, retired in 2005 as Charleston County director of the Community Development Block Grant Program.
Last year, she began working for Southern Wesleyan University as admissions coordinator for the school’s Charleston learning center.
SWU President Todd Voss described her as “always a warm and enthusiastic leader,” who believed in the school’s mission to help students achieve their potential by connecting faith with learning.”
Starkes said she will always remember the sound of Middleton-Doctor’s voice:
“So angelic it could move the very depth of your heart... How do you describe an angel?”
Tywanza Sanders, 26
Tywanza 'Wanza' Sanders was a 2014 graduate in business administration from Allen University in Columbia. Lady June Cole, the interim president of Allen University, described him as "a quiet, well-known student who was committed to his education." Known as Ty, he had worked in sales at department stores such as Belk and Macy's.
Sanders was currently working as a licensed barber and wanted to open up his own barbershop business, but had put that on hold because he was looking to go to graduate school.
Most chilling: Sanders posted a snapchat video of the Bible study just moments before the shooter stood up and shot them all dead.
Sanders is a real hero. He is one of 3 family members killed in this massacre. Sanders was the one who stood up and tried to protect her Aunt Susie (Jackson) from the gunman's fire.
His last Instagram message posted a day before his death was a quote from Jackie Robinson:
"A life is not important except in the impact it has on others"
Tywanza, you and Rev. Shoranda, Rev. Clementa, Rev. Daniel, Rev. DePayne, Librarian Cynthia, First Lady Myra, Matriarchs Susie, and Ethel have impacted our lives forever.
We honor you all.