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[h=4]Emanuel AME congregants vow to seek justice[/h]CHARLESTON, S.C. — Hundreds Sunday packed the pews of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church readying themselves to bury nine beloved members and seek justice on their behalf as part of the church's
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Members of Mother Emanuel AME Church return to service Sunday in Charleston, South Carolina. Thousands of people listened to the service outside the church. Kinfay Moroti/ USA TODAY
Congregants link hands as they sing inside the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., Sunday.(Photo: David Goldman, EPA)
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Hundreds Sunday packed the pews of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church readying themselves to bury nine beloved members and seek justice on their behalf as part of the church's activist tradition.
In an energetic and emotional service, the Rev. Norvel Goff assured those gathered that the victims, including the church's pastor and state senator the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, did not die in vain. Others echoed that sentiment saying that while the city is preparing for funeral services, calls for reforms and social activism would also follow.
"We're going to be vigilant," Goff said as churchgoers swayed and clapped in response. "The blood of the Mother Emanuel nine requires us to work until not only justice in this case but for those living in the margin of life, those less fortunate than ourselves, that we stay on the battlefield until there's no more fight to be fought."
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Dylann Roof, 21, is charged with opening fire on the group, discharging multiple shots into each victim during a Wednesday bible study, according to police affidavits. A white supremacist manifesto purportedly written by Roof to explain why he targeted the church says he had "no choice" but to target African Americans, whom he derides as "stupid and violent."
The attack traumatized the mother and daughter of Charleston County Judge Daniel Martin Jr., who is the fourth generation of his family to attend the church. His 83-year-old mother left the church just an hour before the shooting and his 17-year-old daughter often helped Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, who died in the attack, pray with the church's youngest members. Neither women could bring themselves to come to church Sunday.
People listen to the Sunday service outside the Emanuel AME Church Sunday in Charleston, S.C. Large crowds gathered for the service, the first since nine African Americans were gunned down Wednesday evening during bible study at the historic church.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, AFP/Getty Images)
"There are people who are terrorized by what happened," Martin, 52, said. "My daughter is struggling with the loss. She is very afraid to come back in the building right now. But time heals all wounds. When she is ready, we will have her come back."
Standing outside the church, Martin said he didn't want to talk about political issues like whether or not the Confederate flag should be flying at the South Carolina Capitol. Yet, he hinted that after the victim's funerals, Emanuel AME — one of the nation's most renowned black congregations — would play a role in preventing such tragedies.
Emanuel is the oldest African Methodist Episcopal church in the South, and is called "Mother Emanuel." The church has had its share of notable political moments. In 1822, it was investigated for its role in a planned slave revolt after one of its founders, Denmark Vesey, tried to organize a failed slave rebellion. In March 1909, Booker T. Washington spoke there, and in 1962, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Wyatt T. Walker of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference called on church members to register and vote.
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"This church has always been about resistance," he said. "When the time is right, you will hear from Emanuel and this community. Changes need to be made and after the grieving process has been completed, you will hear loudly and the voice of many that some things are going to have to change."
Goff, too, said he would focus on the victims' families and talk about reforms later. "I'm reminded that there are other challenges that face us, does not go unnoticed, does not mean we're unaware of the problems that many of us face not only in America but in South Carolina and Charleston," he said.
Willi Glee, 74, has been a member of Emanuel AME for decades and almost became one of Roof's victims. Glee left the church just an hour and a half before the shooting happened, skipping bible study because he got hungry.
People leave Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, after a Sunday service in Charleston, S.C. Hundreds of worshipers filled the African-American church where tight security measures were in place for the first service after nine people were shot and killed during bible study Wednesday evening.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Richard Ellis, EPA)
Until authorities released the victims' names, friends and family from all over the country called to check on Glee because they know he is a constant at the church. Sunday, he said having the service soon after the shooting sent a message.
"It said to me that this is our house and we should be able to come back to our house even after all this," Glee said.
Angie Smith, 47, a social worker who started attending Emanuel AME as a 7-year-old, agreed. She said she felt surprisingly calm and at peace when she walked into the church Sunday morning.
Since Wednesday's shooting, Smith has been crying constantly and trying to understand how such a thing could have happened. Goff's Sunday sermon helped put her mind at ease, made her feel less depressed and reminded her about the character of her fellow congregants, she said.
"We're all about uplifting people and doing the right thing," Smith said. "We wrap our arms around everyone. Despite the fact that there was someone who came in from the outside, we still open our arms to everyone to come into the church."
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Smith, a black woman, added that she has been followed in some of Charleston's stores because of her race. She hopes that the shooting will lead people to have frank discussions about how to break away from prejudices.
Lucinda Magwood, 60, of Johns Island, S.C., spent Sunday at Emanuel AME in remembrance of Ethel Lance, a shooting victim who was a friend of a friend. "Racism is still here, prominent in America in the 21st century," she said. "It's just a little bit more polished. It's not as ugly and vulgar as it used to be."
Glee has lived in Charleston for 38 years but experienced one of the most memorable episodes of racism in Connecticut. He said a woman declined to rent him an apartment because he was black.
"Racism is a disease," Glee said. "It's like water poured into the ground. It is everywhere. It will never go away because we keep feeding it. And, there are a lot of sick people."
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGChurch's message of hope rings out in Charleston | 01:10Members of Mother Emanuel AME Church return to service Sunday in Charleston, South Carolina. Thousands of people listened to the service outside the church. Kinfay Moroti/ USA TODAY
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTING1st Church Service Held after Bible Study Attack | 02:05Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church opened its doors on Sunday for the first time following a deadly shooting that killed 9 church members. (June 21) AP
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGRaw: Bells Toll in Honor of Slain Church Members | 01:55Church bells rang throughout Charleston in remembrance of nine people who were slain during a Bible study. (June 21) AP
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTING1st Church Service Held After SC Shooting | 01:42Members of a historic black church worshiped at their sanctuary Sunday for the first time since a gunman opened fire at a Bible study, killing nine people. (June 21) AP
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGFaith leaders hold interfaith, interracial prayer service | 01:42A time of mourning after the Charleston church shooting in South Carolina is bringing people together from different races and religions. VPC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGMass killing alludes to Charleston's historic racial strife | 02:34The mass killing in Charleston, South Carolina alludes to the city's historic racial strife. Local resident share their thoughts on Charleston's past, present and future. VIDEO BY KINFAY MOROTI/USA TODAY
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGRoof's purported manifesto under investigation | 01:04A manifesto purportedly written by accused killer Dylann Roof could explain why Charleston was targeted in the church shootings and what motivated the deadly attack. VPC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGCharleston shooting victims were loved, respected | 01:12Loved ones share their memories of those killed in the shooting at Charleston's Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church as well as their thoughts on the accused killer Dylann Roof. VPC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGCharleston unites to remember church shooting victims | 01:21Charleston residents joined hands and voices at the city's first official vigil following the murders of nine people at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. WCNC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGArmed posses to protect black churches in Arizona | 01:12Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio will send armed posses of volunteers to 60 black churches around Phoenix, following the deadly attack on a historically black church in Charleston. Arpaio's office has previously been accused of racial profiling. VPC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGCharleston shooting shines spotlight on Confederate flag | 01:29The murders of nine African Americans inside a historically black Charleston church have reignited calls to take down the Confederate flag outside South Carolina's Statehouse, but the historic symbol won't come down easily, if it does at all. VPC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGFinding forgiveness in Charleston | 02:20Charleston residents share thier thoughts Friday on forgiving Dylan Roof, who has been charged with nine counts of murder in the shooting at Emanuel AME Church is Charleston, South Carolina. Video by Kinfay Moroti/USA TODAY
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTING'I forgive you.' Charleston victims' families send powerful message | 01:34Family members of the nine victims killed in a shooting at a Charleston church confronted the suspect Dylann Roof in court Friday, sending a powerful and emotional message. VPC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGCharleston mayor: Death penalty likely to be sought | 00:36Charleston, South Carolina Mayor Joseph Riley said although he doesn't condone the death penalty, he thinks prosecutors will seek it in the Emanuel AME church shooting. VPC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGKeeping churches safe: Pastors seek help after shooting | 01:08In the aftermath of the Charleston, S.C. shooting, a North Carolina police department is offering special training sessions for religious leaders who want to know how to bette keep their congregations safe. VPC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGImages of Dylann Roof suggest racist ideology | 00:56The 21-year-old man accused of killing nine people as they worshiped at a Charleston, South Carolina church has a criminal past. Dylann Roof was arrested twice this year and images of him posted to social media seem to show a racist ideology. WCNC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGShooting victims' families to Dylann Roof: We 'forgive you' | 07:04Dylann Roof, the suspect in the mass shootings that killed nine at a Charleston church, appeared in court for his bond hearing Friday. Family members of the victims addressed Roof emotionally, and said that they "forgive" him and "hate won't win." USA TODAY
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGCharleston youths coping with aftermath of church shooting | 01:18Families talk about the challenges of explaining the Charleston church shooting to young children. VPC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGDylann Roof led from station in bullet proof vest | 00:43Dylann Roof, the 21-year-old accused of shooting and killing nine people at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC is led out of the Shelby, NC Police Dept. in handcuffs and a bullet proof vest. He was caught in Shelby with the help of a tip. WCNC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGMemorial grows in Charleston one day after shooting | 00:40A memorial for the nine people who died at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston when a gunman opened fire on a prayer service is growing, as people gather to pay tribute to the dead while focusing on healing. VPC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGJon Stewart skips jokes, gets serious about Charleston | 01:37Jon Stewart's latest 'Daily Show' appearance was a somber one — in the wake of the tragedy in Charleston, South Carolina, where Dylann Roof is accused of killing six women and three men Wednesday, Stewart decided to forego his usual jokes completely. USA TODAY
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGFlorist's tip led to capture of Charleston shooting suspect | 01:49The suspect in the mass shotting at a Charleston church, Dylann Storm Roof, was captured in Shelby, North Carolina, thanks to a tip from a local florist. WCNC-TV
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGNighttime images of a church shattered by shooting | 00:39Night at Emanuel A.M.E Church in Charleston, South Carolina is filled with despair, remembrance and small flames of hope, Video by Kinfay Moroti/USA TODAY USA TODAY
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGHundreds gather at Charleston church to pay respect | 01:48Members of a neighboring church attended a special service before walking over to the Emanuel AME church to pay their respect to the victims lost in the mass shooting. WCNC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGCharleston shooting victims include pastors, recent grad | 04:52The community of Charleston, SC is coming together to remember the lives of those killed inside the Emanuel AME Church. VPC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGCharleston residents struggle to understand shooting | 01:08Scenes from the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on Thursday in Charleston, South Carolina. Nine people were killed in a mass shooting Wednesday during service. Kinfay Moroti, Gannett
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGHistoric black churches rethink security after shooting | 01:49On the heels of the Charleston, South Carolina church massacre, historic black churches in Atlanta not only grieve, but rethink security measures. WXIA-TV, Atlanta
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGA 'heartbroken' Charleston gathers to mourn shooting victims | 00:57Hundreds gathered to pay tribute to the nine victims of a church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. VPC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGSuspect arrested in Charleston church shooting | 00:39Charleston authorities have arrested 21-year-old Dylann Roof in connection with the killing of nine people at Emanuel AME church. Roof was arrested during a traffic stop in Shelby, North Carolina. VPC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGRaw: See people praying, hugging outside of SC church | 00:55The community of Charleston, South Carolina is coming together to mourn the victim's of the Emaneul AME Church shooting. USA TODAY
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGPinckney colleague: 'Biggest heart you could imagine' | 01:25South Carolina state senators became emotional during Thursday's session as they reflected on slain state Senator Clementa Pinckney, who was among those killed in the Charleston church shooting. His chair was draped in black fabric in his absence. VPC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGObama: I've made statements like this 'too many times' | 02:20President Obama spoke about the tragedy at a church in Charleston, S.C., saying he's made a speech like this too often. The president says he knew the pastor who was killed at the Emanuel AME church, where 9 people were killed while praying. VPC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGGov. Haley cries: 'Heart and soul of S.C. was broken' | 01:25South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley got emotional while speaking at a press conference about the massacre at Emanuel AME church in Charleston where a gunman opened fire at a prayer service killing nine people. WLTX
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGAttorney General: Charleston shooting 'barbaric' | 01:24Speaking at a press conference, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch called the shooting that killed 9 people at Emanuel AME church in Charleston, South Carolina both "barbaric" and "heartless." VPC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGSlain pastor Clementa Pinckney will be 'sorely missed' | 01:07Pastor Clementa Pinckney is among those killed in a shooting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. The 41-year-old was also serving as a South Carolina state senator at the time of his death. VPC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGCharleston police: 'We will catch' church shooter | 01:12Chief Gregory Mullen emphasized his department's commitment to catching the man suspected of killing nine people at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. Police confirm they currently do not know where the suspect is. WLTX TV
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGPastor killed in church massacre was a 'leader' | 01:01After news of South Carolina state senator and pastor Clementa Pinckney's death at the hands of a gunman at his Charleston church, fellow State Senator Kevin Johnson said Pinckney had a passion for the less fortunate in his state. WLTX
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTING9 dead in Charleston after church massacre | 00:58Nine people, including state senator Celementa Pinckney, were killed during a shooting at a historic black church in Charleston, S.C. Pinckney was also the pastor of the church. Police say the shooting was a hate crime. VPC
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGSen. killed in church wanted 'people to feel safe' there | 00:30The S.C. state Senator and pastor killed when a gunman shot up his Charleston church was an advocate for safe churches. In the state legislator in 2013, Sen. Clementa Pinckney supported a bill that would expand penalties for church vandalism. WLTX
CHARLESTON, S.C. CHURCH SHOOTINGPolice: Charleston church shooting was a hate crime | 00:54Authorities are looking for a young white man in connection to the massacre at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC where a gunman opened fire, killing nine people. WLTX TV
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