The history of Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Charleston, South Carolina, is a profound narrative of resilience, faith, and resistance spanning over two centuries, marked by its role as a beacon of African American culture and liberation. The church, often called “Mother Emanuel” due to its status as the oldest AME congregation in the South, was thrust into the national spotlight following the tragic mass shooting on June 17, 2015, where nine Black worshippers were killed by a white supremacist during a Bible study. Ten years later, the church’s story continues to resonate as a symbol of grace, forgiveness, and the ongoing struggle against racial injustice.
Founding and Early History
Mother Emanuel was founded in 1816 when approximately 1,400 free and enslaved Black members left Charleston’s Methodist Episcopal Church due to racial discrimination, particularly over burial grounds. Led by Rev. Morris Brown, the congregation affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the first independent Black denomination in the U.S., established by Richard Allen in 1814. The church became a spiritual and cultural hub for Charleston’s Black community, but its early years were fraught with persecution. In 1822, Denmark Vesey, a church co-founder and freed slave, was implicated in a planned slave rebellion. When the plot was uncovered, 35 men, many from the congregation, were executed, and the church was burned down by white authorities. For the next 30 years, South Carolina banned Black churches, forcing Mother Emanuel’s congregants to worship in secret until 1865, when they could formally reorganize after the Civil War. The church was rebuilt under Rev. L. Ruffin Nichols, who added its iconic steeple, a Charleston landmark.
Role in Civil Rights and Social Justice
Mother Emanuel has long been a center for civil rights activism. In 1909, Booker T. Washington spoke at the church, addressing racial issues. In 1962, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech urging congregants to vote, reinforcing the church’s role in the Civil Rights Movement. In 1969, Coretta Scott King led a march starting at Mother Emanuel to advocate for workers’ rights, resulting in 900 arrests. The church’s pastor at the time of the 2015 shooting, Rev. Clementa Pinckney, was a state senator and vocal advocate for police accountability, notably following the 2015 shooting of Walter Scott by a North Charleston police officer.
The 2015 Mass Shooting
On June 17, 2015, 21-year-old Dylann Roof, a self-proclaimed white supremacist, entered Mother Emanuel during a Wednesday night Bible study. After sitting with the group for about 45 minutes, he opened fire with a .45-caliber Glock, killing nine worshippers: Rev. Clementa Pinckney (41), Cynthia Graham Hurd (54), Susie Jackson (87), Ethel Lee Lance (70), Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor (49), Tywanza Sanders (26), Rev. Daniel Simmons (74), Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton (45), and Myra Thompson (59). Roof fired 70 rounds, targeting the church for its historical significance to the Black community, intending to ignite a “race war.” Five survivors, including Felicia Sanders and her granddaughter, witnessed the horror. Roof was arrested the next day in North Carolina, convicted of 33 federal hate crime and murder charges in December 2016, and sentenced to death in January 2017. He also pleaded guilty to state murder charges, receiving life without parole.
Aftermath and Forgiveness
The shooting shocked the nation, prompting a racial reckoning in Charleston and beyond. Remarkably, at Roof’s bond hearing, survivors and victims’ families, including Felicia Sanders, expressed forgiveness, a gesture rooted in the AME tradition that moved the world and was highlighted by President Barack Obama’s eulogy for the victims, where he sang “Amazing Grace.” This act of grace, however, was not universal among the congregation, with some emphasizing that forgiveness was for their own healing, not absolution for Roof. The tragedy also spurred action: South Carolina removed the Confederate flag from the statehouse in July 2015, and the “Charleston loophole” in federal gun laws, which allowed Roof to purchase his weapon due to a delayed background check, led to legislative efforts to extend background check periods.
Legacy and Memorialization
Ten years later, Mother Emanuel remains a symbol of resilience. The Emanuel Nine Memorial, designed by Michael Arad, broke ground in 2023 and features two fellowship benches and a fountain inscribed with the victims’ names, reflecting themes of forgiveness and unity. The church established the Reverend Pinckney Scholarship Fund and the Mother Emanuel Empowerment Center to support education and community healing. Charleston’s response—marked by interracial unity and activism—continues to inspire, though activists note persistent systemic racism. The church’s history, detailed in Kevin Sack’s 2025 book, Mother Emanuel: Two Centuries of Race, Resistance, and Forgiveness in One Charleston Church, underscores its enduring role in the fight for justice.
Ongoing Impact
The 2015 massacre, the deadliest at a U.S. place of worship until 2017, highlighted issues of gun violence and racial hatred. It prompted national discussions on systemic racism, with figures like Rep. James Clyburn noting its role in re-examining American identity. The church continues to host events, such as a 2025 reflection at Charleston Music Hall, to honor the Emanuel Nine and advocate for change. Despite the pain, Mother Emanuel’s legacy of hope and resistance endures, inspiring communities to confront racism and foster reconciliation.
This history reflects Mother Emanuel’s unbreakable spirit, from its founding amid oppression to its response to tragedy with grace and action, shaping Charleston and the nation’s ongoing journey toward justice.
