As Americans struggled with, joined to console the survivors of, and find understanding following Wednesday's race-motivated church shootings in South Carolina, Twin Citians commemorated the deaths in Charleston and sought answers to preventing future tragedies.
Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal will sponsor a Vigil Prayer Service from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church, 801 W. Market Street.
This service is designed according to NIOT:B/N coordinator Willie Holton Halbert to "lift up the families in Charleston, the community, and the nation, in prayer and refection." Mt. Pisgah Pastor Frank McSwain will share words of encouragement, and other local ministers are expected to offer scripture readings.
Donations also will be accepted for Charleston's Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church and the families of those killed by Dylann Roof.
Roof, 21, appeared Friday afternoon by video feed at a bond hearing in Charleston, where he listened to the anguished words of relatives of nine victims he gunned down Wednesday night at a Bible study at the historic Emanuel AME. Roof had been welcomed into the group and attended for roughly an hour before opening fire. Roof told officers at his arrest that he had hoped to incite a race war, but whites and blacks rallied in Charleston to console the stricken Emanuel congregation and victims' families.
The nine victims of the Charleston church shootings.
Meanwhile, Roof may face federal charges and a potential death sentence. The U.S. Justice Department issued a statement Friday saying, "This heartbreaking episode was undoubtedly designed to strike fear and terror into this community, and the department is looking at this crime from all angles, including as a hate crime and as an act of domestic terrorism."
In Bloomington, Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal leader Alderman Karen Schmidt Friday attended what she deemed "a very moving prayer service" for the Charleston victims at Wayman AME Church.
The Charleston incident has raised a number of issues, including heightened gun control debate in Congress; controversy surrounding racial remarks made by white Judge James Gosnell, who presided at Roof's hearing; and a call to remove Confederate flags associated with racism from government places.
"It's time," argues Bloomington First Christian Church Associate Minister Kelley Becker. "We can't dictate what people display on their own property, but government space, public space, should not be sullied by these flags."
In the summer of 1996, when African-American churches were being burnt in the South, a “Not In Our Town – No Racism” march was held, drawing a large and diverse coalition.
A group from that march went south to help rebuild a church and people signed a “no racism” pledge. Mayor Jesse Smart stepped up police patrols around African-American churches, to prevent a repeat of what was then happening in Southern states.
The national Not In Our Town organization offers three ways individuals can help in the aftermath of the Charleston shootings:
- Send a Message of Support to Charleston: Show the families of the nine victims and other church members that they are not alone. They need to know they are surrounded by people who care. Post messages online or send them to info@niot.org and Not In Our Town will share them, print them, and send them on to the AME church. Send a donation to the families. The outpouring of support can mean so much to the community in this time of darkness and grief.
- Act Locally/Connect with People in Your Town: Bring your community together to honor those who were killed through vigils, church services, and gatherings. This moment of sadness and heightened awareness is a time to bridge differences. Reach out to people who may be targets of hate or intolerance. Get in touch with Black churches in your town and bring together different religious and community groups. Sign banners and pledges to share with those in South Carolina and elsewhere. Include local law enforcement in your planning, and ask them to make sure all community members feel safe. (See examples below.)
- Commit to Ongoing Action to Stop Hate and Bigotry: Form a NIOT group that works to build a safe, inclusive community for everyone. Make a commitment to take ongoing action to prevent hate in our schools, workplaces and communities. Open dialogues about how to build better understanding about racism and bias. Start by signing the NIOT Pledge and sharing it with friends and family.