‘Their legacy was more than what happened on that day’ Charleston leaders commemorate Emanuel Nine

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) — Nearly a decade after the tragic shooting at Mother Emanuel, Charleston is coming together to reflect and to see how the Lowcountry has learned 10 years later.

On June 17th in 2015, a gunman, motivated by white supremacist views, shot and killed nine people during bible study at a historically black church. It left a lasting impact not only survivors, but the greater Charleston community.

“It has not been easy, and I can’t believe it has been 10 years because we have been active, we have been dogged, we have been resolute to make certain that Clementa Carlos Pinckney, along with the other 8 who were masquerade in the tragedy and the survivors,” said Charleston County Council Chairman Kylon Middleton. “That their legacy was more than what happened on that day.”

The panels were made up of Reverend Eric Manning, the senior pastor at Mother Emanuel, Charleston County Sheriff Carl Ritchie, Kendra Stewart, the director at the Joseph P. Riley Center and Marcus McDonald, the lead organizer for Black Lives Matter Charleston.

“It’s easy to say you’re doing something but it’s harder to put funds into it to actually fund the community center and fund the mental health resources needed to put into the community,” said McDonald, when asked about his work with local leaders taking action to forward racial justice.

Another panel of public officials spoke during the second half of the night including Charleston Mayor William Cogswell, Charleston County Council Chairman Kylon Middleton and 9th Circuit Solicitor Scarlet Wilson discussing hot button issues.

“Showing how our local governments can support the changes we’re trying to make in law enforcement.” said Wilson. “It’s a big thing for the community to instill confidence and see we’re treating people fairly across the board.”

The event was about looking at the progress Charleston has made but also the work that needs to be done.

“There are areas I am disappointed we haven’t made more progress, one being hate crime legislation,” said State Senator Ed Sutton. “We are now one of only two states that have not passed hate crime legislation. The other thing is we have gone backwards on gun safety in this state.”

The Mother Emanuel church will have events leading up to the 10-year anniversary on June 17th at their church.