Historic Charleston church and site of shooting was a symbol of black perseverance

(Image credit: screenshot/twitter)

published 18 June 2015

The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church has a long history of persevering against racial persecution, CNN reports.

The congregation began as members of Charleston's Methodist Episcopal Church in 1791, but withdrew over disputed burial grounds under the leadership of Morris Brown and the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

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The church was destroyed a second time, by an earthquake, in 1886 and once again rebuilt. Today, the Emanuel AME seats 2,500 congregants, making it the largest capacity of any African-American church in Charleston. The Emanuel AME was also a stop in the 1960s for many civil rights movement leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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