Black History Bootcamp. S6. Day 16.
Day 16
"The Lord is with us; do not fear them."
- Numbers 4:9
The Address: 110 Calhoun Street, Charleston, South Carolina
The Story: Mother Emanuel AME Church is one of the oldest Black churches in the United States, and for 200 years, it functioned as the center for organizing civil rights.
Its name says it all.
Emanuel
"God with us."
And God has been constant.
Because there’s never been a church that has withstood the reign of terrorism so bravely.
1816: A white-led Methodist church voted to build on top of the African burial ground in Charleston. Two THOUSAND Black congregants, led by Morris Brown, left the Methodist denomination in protest.
1816- 1818: Morris Brown and his congregants started "The African Church in Charleston." In support of Richard Allen’s religious revolution, it became the second AME church in history.
1818: Charleston officials terrorized churchgoers for worshipping after daylight hours. They arrested 140 Black church members and sentenced eight of their leaders to lashes.
1820: City officials raided Emanuel AME Church again.
1821: City officials raided and arrested again.
1822: Denmark Vesey, one of the church's founders, and 34 other community members were executed for organizing a military plan for liberation. We’ll talk more about this later.
1822: A white mob burned the church to the ground.
1834: The white-run city of Charleston outlaws all black churches.
1822 -1865: The congregation met secretly for forty years to avoid state-sanctioned violence.
1865 -1872: After the Civil War, Robert Vesey, an architect, and Denmark’s son, rebuilt the church and called it Emanuel, God with us.
1872: Under Reconstruction, Richard Harvey Cain, a minister and missionary of Emanuel Church, was elected as a Congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives.
1886: An earthquake demolished the building.
1891: The church was rebuilt on the north side of Calhoun Street, the racial boundary in Charleston.
1909: Booker T. Washington spoke to members of the Supreme Court from the pulpit of the church.
1910- 1960: The church thrived and led the nation in liberation theology.
1962: Dr. King delivered a speech in the church.
1969: South Carolina National Guard pointed bayonets at Coretta Scott King and protesters for marching for workers' rights for hospital caretakers. 900 Black people were arrested.
1989: Hurricane Hugo damaged the building.
1990-2010: The church thrived.
2010: Pastor Clem Pinckney was elected as a State Senator.
2012: The church celebrated 150 years of liberation.
2015: A 21-year-old white man executed Pastor Clem and eight other members during a Bible study.
I'm sharing the dates and details here because they won’t be the focus of today's walk and talk.
No.
Today, we will explore The Why.
Why was this church targeted?
Why was it necessary?
What kind of spiritual courage was being borne there?
Well, that courage has a name: Denmark Vesey
Today, we learn his story.
The true story of Mother Emanuel’s bravest son.
Don’t miss this ah-ha of history.
Meet us in the Streets: Grab your earbuds, put on your sneakers, and join co-founders Morgan and Vanessa for Black History Bootcamp, a walking podcast powered by GirlTrek. We can’t wait to talk…
Catch up on Spotify podcasts.
Episodes are available after 48 hours.
The Neighborhood Call to Action
Keep Walking!
Support Black Neighborhoods:
Tithe: Give 10% of your earnings to a Black church, institution, or charitable mission you trust. We have the resources. We need to restart Mother Emanuel’s legacy of liberation work.
Donate: There is a restoration project of African burial grounds in The Low-country. Support these efforts financially: https://www.preservationsociety.org/what-we-do/preservation-initiatives/cemetery-restoration/.
Experience: Take a virtual stop in front of Mother Emanuel on this walking tour of Charleston: https://youtu.be/ok4_Wdqym24.
Organize: Start a GirlTrek walking crew for joy and justice in South Carolina by emailing southeast@girltrek.org with the subject: I’m inspired to start!
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