The Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church in Greeleyville, South Carolina is in the process of burning to the ground. Cody Alcorn of Fox Carolina reported the news through his Facebook page, complete with pictures courtesy of Twitter user @SCFireCarter.
Greeleyville is in Williamsburg County, roughly an hour's drive north of Charleston, where nine people were murdered in an act of racial terrorism against the Mother Emmanuel AME Church almost two weeks ago. 20 years ago, this same church was burned to the ground by the KKK during the height of South Carolina's first Confederate flag debates. One year later, President Bill Clinton attended the first service after the church was re-built.
The area that houses this church has long been a hot-bed for racial issues in South Carolina. Kingstree High School, which serves much of Williamsburg County, is one of many high schools in South Carolina that look very similar to the way they looked prior to the Supreme Court's integration mandate in
Brown v. Board of Education. More than 95-percent of that school is black, while most white parents take refuge by sending their children to historical segregation haven Williamsburg Academy.
This is at least the fifth black church that has been burned in the wake of the Mother Emmanuel shootings, and the NAACP has suggested that all black churches be on high alert.
My fellow white folks screamed to the high heavens in the wake of the Mother Emmanuel shootings that South Carolina was "united" on issues of race. These fires demonstrate just how wrong that is. The domestic terrorism against black people and black churches must stop now.
EDIT: A strong thunderstorm has come through the area today and this evening, so some news outlets have suggested that a lightning strike may be the cause of the fire. That would be one whale of a coincidence in light of the history here, the nature of the region, and what has taken place over the last week.