• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Afrobella

Natural Hair, Beauty, Fashion and Makeup Blog

  • Hair
  • Beauty
    • Makeup
  • Reviews
  • Pop Culture
  • Style
  • About
    • Awards and Acclaim
    • FAQs
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Remembering the Charleston Victims. How We All Can Help

by afrobella

Last week, a coward and a terrorist committed a vicious, pre-meditated hate crime against an innocent group of people as they gathered to worship. He sat with them for an hour while they prayed and admitted that they did their best to make him feel welcome, and still he had enough hate in his heart to aim his gun first at an 87 year old woman, Susie Jackson. His stated goal was to ignite racial tensions, but still there are those who would seek to deny and downplay those motives.

It’s sparked a deluge of intense articles that delve into the issues of racism and gun control that need to be addressed in America. It’s resulted in a plethora of thinkpieces examining the murderous terrorist’s upbringing and mental state. It has sparked a necessary debate into the symbols of the past and their effect on the present. It has shone a super bright light on social media – it’s been downright fascinating to see who’s affected and who’s blithely able to ignore the news.

It’s almost been a week. A church family grieves. Blood relatives and lifelong friends are heartbroken. All of the fissures and cracks in a society that has tried to hide, cover and deny the existence of, are exposed. All of the dirt that has been swept under the post-racial rug is swirling in the air and choking us. And in the arising cloud, I fear that the original victims are being forgotten. I want to remember them.

19charleston-victims-facebookJumbo

 

Honestly, I’ve seen entirely too much of the murderer on my timeline. I really don’t want to know about his childhood, his influences, or how lonely and isolated he was. I don’t want to see his creepy, vacant gaze staring at me through the computer screen anymore. I don’t need to see the face of evil. These are the faces I want to remember and these are the names I plan to hold in my prayers at night.

The Rev. Clementa Pinckney.
Tywanza Sanders.
Cynthia Hurd.
Sharonda Coleman-Singleton.
The Rev. Depayne Middleton Doctor.
Susie Jackson.
Ethel Lance.
Myra Thompson.
The Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr.

Image source.

Image source.

 

In the midst of all of this, it feels too soon and too raw to be able to forgive as the families have done. I respect them for their strength of faith and ability to come forth and speak of forgiveness in the immediate face of such intentional, awful loss. Right now all I can try to do – me, personally – is try to find inspiration in how the Charleston nine lived. They found strength in their faith. They gathered to study the Bible and to pray on a Wednesday evening. They found guidance and inspiration in each other, men and women ranging in age from 26 to 87. They found in themselves to welcome a stranger into their midst. There is grace and strength and real beauty in the way they lived their lives. That in itself, is an inspiration.

There is helpful info on how you can donate to benefit Emanuel AME Church and those affected, via the city of Charleston’s official site. Please click here to donate directly to Emanuel AME. Please join me in sending love to the families and the good people of Charleston.

If you’d like to read more of the kinds of articles that have moved me in the midst of this tragedy, please check these out:

Say Something by Chookooloonks

Charleston, Forgiveness and Black Pain by Awesomely Luvvie

On Black Humanity by A Black Girl’s Guide to Weight Loss 

Things Fall Apart, On Mother Emanuel and White Terrorism by Kirsten West Savali

Black Churches Taught Us to Forgive White People, We Learned to Shame Ourselves by Kiese Laymon – such incredible writing that aches to read.

If you’ve written or read anything on this topic that you think is truly moving and worth sharing, please include the link in my comments.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Filed Under: Issues Tagged With: Charleston, issues, RIP

« Brown Girl Friendly Foundation – 5 Lightweight Coverage Options For Hot, Humid Months
I’m Hosting a Fashion Show at the Taste of Chicago on July 9! Come One, Come All »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. pets

    at

    A truly heinous crime.

    Look at the contrast of the university graduate in his 20s slain by a 20s high school educated not going anywhere in his life person.

    Look at the youngest Senator/Pastor of the church.

    Look at the many women he felled with multiple bullets.

    The slain were being good role models to their families, church and community.

    Thanks for memorializing them in this way and may God have mercy on them and all who have been touched by such pain and sorrow.

    RIP.

  2. Atiya

    at

    All this young man had to do was to get educated and make something of himself. Simple. He would be too tired studying for finals to think crazy. He would be too exhausted from work to consider anything stupid. He wasted his own opportunity but turns around and blames blacks for his woes. Cry me a river!

    Thank you so much for speaking of the victims instead. I read a full bio on each victim and it makes the sting felt even more.

  3. thecrunchymommy

    at

    I still don’t really have the words…
    http://www.thecrunchymommy.com/the-current-state-of-affairs/

Primary Sidebar


Visit Afrobella Store

Popular Posts

  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • May 2024
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • November 2022
  • September 2022
  • June 2022
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
  • August 2006

Footer

  • Afrobella Radio
  • Ask Afrobella
  • Beauty
  • Body
  • Books
  • Events
  • Featured
  • Food
  • Hair
  • Health and Wellness
  • Issues
  • Jams
  • Life
  • Makeup
  • Monday Manicure
  • Pop Culture
  • Popular
  • Randomness
  • Reviews
  • Skin
  • Style
  • Travel

Copyright © 2025 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework