Wave of Black Church Arsons Follows Charleston Massacre

In the weeks following the June 17, 2015 Charleston church massacre, a wave of fires hit Black churches across the South. Between June 21 and July 7, 2015, at least seven predominantly Black churches burned. Fires were confirmed at Briar Creek Road Baptist Church (Charlotte, NC), Glover Grove Baptist Church (Warrenville, SC), College Hill Seventh Day Adventist Church (Knoxville, TN), Greater Miracle Temple Apostolic Holiness Church (Tallahassee, FL), and others. Some were confirmed arson; others remained under investigation. The FBI investigated several as potential hate crimes. Historically, Black churches have been targets of racial terror since Reconstruction.