Sadly this is not the first time evil has visited Emanuel AME. Denmark Vesey, an American hero unknown by most people, who brought his freedom in 1799 for a price of $600, but could not afford to buy the freedom of his wife and children, joined the newly formed AME Church in 1817. The church was a place where free blacks and slaves worshipped together. Vesey began preaching to a small group in his home during the week. White authorities constantly monitored the church, disrupted services and arrested members. This angered Vesey and he began to teach from the Old Testament, teaching members that they were the New Israelites ,the chosen people whose enslavement would be punished by death. Vesey plans didn't just include saving souls. In 1822 ,perhaps motivated by his inability to gain freedom for his wife and children, Vesey and other leaders of his church began plotting a rebellion to free all of the slaves in and around Charleston. The plan involving over 4000 free backs and slaves, included seizing the city's arsenals and guard houses, killing the Governor, setting fire to the city and killing every white man they saw. The day chosen for the revolt was July 14. In June however one of the leaders of the rebellion leaked the plot to authorities. Officials began arresting leaders including Vesey who was arrested on June 22nd. The leaders were brought to trial and despite the threat of execution, refused to reveal their followers. On July 2nd 1822 almost exactly 193 years to today, Denmark Vesey was hung and eventually 35 people were executed. In the aftermath of the Vesey rebellion the church was burned--the same church that evil visited last night. Following the executions blacks in Charleston continued to honor Vesey's revolutionary Old Testament theology in secret. For abolitionists such as David Walker, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Beecher Stowe, Vesey became a symbol of resistance and an inspiration in their writings. Authorities in Charleston redoubled their efforts to convert slaves to New Testament Christianity especially the words of St. Paul "Servants obey your masters". This sequence of events eventually led to the Civil War that freed the slaves.
I am not sure what we should learn from last night's tragedy or if we should learn anything at all. The news reports, mayor and police chief of Charleston have called it a hate crime. Perhaps the gunman is deranged and has no agenda other than satisfying the demands of unholy demons in his mind, which given the other possibilities is the least disturbing scenario. Perhaps he really is just purely evil. What other explanation could there be? All I know for sure is that after almost 200 years, Evil walked back into Mother Emanuel Church, an historic place where Denmark Vesey and others gathered to pray and planned to rebel against their captors and killed 9 people that were there to pray and study the Bible.
This historic church has been burned, its members executed and last night Evil came back to murder 9 more of its members. Yet Mother Emanuel AME still stands. It will continue to stand as the perfect symbol for African American resilience, hope, perseverance, courage, determination and pride. Let's pray for those that were murdered and support their families. Perhaps one day we will understand the purpose of their deaths and why they were chosen to make the ultimate sacrifice just as we now understand the sacrifices of Denmark Vesey and our ancestors and what they did here 192 years ago.
copyright 2015 Michael S. Nixon
