Civil and Human Rights Coalition Statement on Emanuel AME Church Murders
WASHINGTON—Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement in response to the murders of nine parishioners Wednesday night at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C.:
“We are shocked and saddened by the horrific, coldblooded murders of nine parishioners at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, including its pastor, Rev. Clementa Pinckney, who was also a state senator and a brave and thoughtful community leader. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ families and friends, the congregation, the city of Charleston, and everyone who has been touched by this senseless and evil violence.
The commission of a hate crime anywhere is disturbing, but when that violence takes place at a house of worship for any religion, it is particularly abhorrent. Black churches have been frequent targets, as with the reprehensible 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham and the wave of church arsons that swept through the South in the 1990s. Mother Emanuel, as it’s known, holds a significant place in the history of our nation. Founded by free Blacks and slaves, it is the oldest AME church in the South, the oldest Black congregation south of Baltimore, and has been active throughout its existence in the fight to secure civil and human rights.
We commend Attorney General Loretta Lynch and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division for opening up a hate crime investigation into this attack, and city, state and federal law enforcement for working together to capture the suspected gunman. Their efforts are important for securing justice as we continue to mourn for the victims and support their community.”
Wade Henderson is president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference, visit www.civilrights.org.
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