In the midst of high racial tension and a week following the Dylann Roof shooting at the AME Church in South Carolina, there has been a chain of arson at predominately black churches.
Arsonists have attacked five black southern churches with two of them being severely damaged.
On June 21st someone set a fire to a church van and started another fire by the wall of College Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church, Knoxville, Tennessee. Thankfully, service carried on as normal the following Saturday.
June 23rd the fire at God’s Power Church of Christ, Macon, didn’t go as unscathed. The two story church was completely destroyed and needs to be rebuilt.
One of the pastors, Janette Dudly made this statement “We are a strong congregation, and we are keeping it moving, we are not letting this get us down, especially to the point that we hate anyone — we are still just peaceful, loving people.”
The other fire on June 23rd at Fruitland Presbyterian Church, Gibson County, Tennessee is believed to be caused by lighting and not arson as they are still waiting on reports. This church is considered a predominately white church.
Briar Creek Baptist Church, Charlotte, N.C. was attacked on June 24th causing $250,000 in damages to their church complex, severely damaging their youth area.
The other churches are Glover Grove Baptist Church, Warrenville, S.C. On June 26th, and Greater Miracle Apostolic Holiness Church, Tallahassee, Florida on June 26th. There was about $400,000 in damages.
The arson attacks have not officially been declared as hate crimes but many speculate that they are.
Black churches, especially those in the south have been a target for many years throughout the Civil Rights movement and even into the 90s.
Sources Cited: LA Times
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-black-church-fires-20150629-story.html#page=2
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