Emanuel Nine Memorial Foundation and Emanuel Nine Memorial Update
After the devastating massacre of nine clergy and members at Mother Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015, the Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) organization, was formed with the goal of building a memorial to honor the lives taken, to embrace the historical significance of the church and community and to serve as the cornerstone of civic engagement.
The Emanuel Nine Memorial honors the lives of the Emanuel Nine. It celebrates God’s perfect love in the act of forgiveness from the victims’ families. The memorial illustrates the spirit of resiliency shown by the survivors and the church – touching hearts within the Charleston community and around the world. The memorial will motivate people everywhere to eradicate racism and inspire greatness from all humankind.
ABOUT THE EMANUEL NINE AND THE SURVIVORS
Nine extraordinary individuals were taken from this world in a horrific act of hatred on June 17, 2015: Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Mrs. Cynthia Graham Hurd, Mrs. Susie J. Jackson, Mrs. Ethel Lee Lance, Rev. DePayne Vontrese Middleton, The Honorable Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney, Mr. Tywanza Kibwe Diop Sanders, Rev. Daniel Lee Simmons, Sr., and Mrs. Myra Singleton Quarles Thompson, AME Licentiate.
Survivors of the massacre are Mrs. Jennifer Pinckney, Malana Pinckney, Mrs. Polly Sheppard and Mrs. Felicia Sanders and her granddaughter.
EMANUEL NINE MEMORIAL
After a nationwide search, the Foundation selected Michael Arad as designer for the Emanuel Nine Memorial. Arad previously designed the National September 11 Memorial at the World Trade Center for the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation.
The memorial will be located on church grounds and will feature a courtyard with two large marble fellowship benches, facing each other with high backs that arc up and around like sheltering wings. At the center of the courtyard, the curves of the benches encircle a marble fountain where the names of the Emanuel Nine are carved around the fountain’s edge. Water emanates from a cross-shaped source, filling the basin and gently spilling over the names of the nine. The opening between the benches toward the back of the courtyard reveals a cross above a simple altar, providing visitors a quiet place to linger in thought and prayer.
We are estimating the memorial will be open to the public in 2023.
SOCIAL JUSTICE AND OUTREACH
One of the goals of the Foundation is to work to eradicate racism and hate. Through our work for social justice we will encourage voting, encourage nonviolent protest and inspire people to search their hearts and minds to help us all live in a more perfect union. We recognize we are not alone in the work for social justice and therefore, the Foundation will work collaboratively with organizations dedicated to rooting out systemic racism in law enforcement and education.
Furthermore, we are envisioning a robust outreach program for our schools, including programs on-site and in schools with a goal of helping to bridge differences and inequities.
Elements of this program will include:
- SC School Children Field Trips
- SC Elementary Education Social Justice Curriculum Recommendations
- Social Justice Education Initiatives at SC Colleges & Universities
- Public Programming and Local/National Outreach Initiatives
- Emanuel Nine Archives Museum
- Emanuel Nine Empowerment Center
EMANUEL NINE MEMORIAL WEBSITE
Earlier this year, we unveiled our updated website. The website is continuously updated with relevant news about the Emanuel Nine, information about the memorial itself, as well as social justice issues that continue to plague this country. Please visit our website at www.emanuelnine.org.
TO SUPPORT:
We continue to raise funds to design, build, protect and maintain the Emanuel Nine Memorial, as well as fund educational outreach and social justice initiatives. The Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation relies on individual and corporate contributions that can be made online by visiting www.emanuelnine.org/donate or by using the Givelify app or website (listed under Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation).
About Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church
The roots of Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church run deep in Charleston and its history is one of perseverance in the face of racial hostility. The church is affectionately called Mother Emanuel because it is the oldest AME church south of Baltimore. Founder Morris Brown first opened the church’s doors in 1818, but the church burned to the ground a few years later after plans for a slave revolt were exposed. In 1834, a state law making it illegal for Blacks to assemble in places of worship was passed in South Carolina. Following the Civil War, the church bought the site of the existing structure and named it Emanuel, meaning “God with us.” The church was rebuilt, continued its push for equal rights and welcomed distinguished leaders such as Booker T. Washington and civil rights titan Martin Luther King Jr. Today,Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church is an established institution in Charleston. With seating for 1,200, it has the largest capacity of any African American church in the city. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation Contact:
Kimberlyn Davis, Executive Director
704.649.1399
