June 2015
Events
- June 17, 2015Charleston Emanuel AME Church Massacre
Dylann Roof, a 21-year-old white supremacist, opened fire during Bible study at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC, killing nine people: Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Cynthia Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lance, DePayne Middleton-Doctor, Tywanza Sanders, Rev. Daniel Simmons, Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, and Myra Thompson. Roof's manifesto cited the Council of Conservative Citizens website and stated he wanted to start a race war. Survivors' families publicly offered forgiveness at his bond hearing, a response that drew worldwide attention.
- June 21, 2015Wave 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.
- June 21, 2015Wave of Black Church Arsons Follows Charleston Massacre
In the weeks following the June 17, 2015 Charleston massacre, at least seven predominantly Black churches burned in the South between June 21 and July 7. Fires were confirmed at Briar Creek Road Baptist Church (NC), Glover Grove Baptist Church (SC), College Hill Seventh Day Adventist Church (TN), and others. Some were confirmed arson. The FBI investigated several as potential hate crimes.
- June 17, 2015The Charleston church massacre
A white supremacist murders nine worshippers at Mother Emanuel AME Church.