Mother Emanuel tragedy focus of DIHS program on Nov. 15

On the evening of June 17, 2015, a young white man walked into the Emanuel A.M.E. Church in downtown Charleston and seared his name into the history of the Holy City. Dylann Roof’s murderous spree claimed the lives of nine innocent people that night, but as the people of Charleston and the rest of the nation would soon discover - it was not his heinous act of violence that would define our city. It was the community’s resilience and forgiveness from some of the families touched by this tragedy.

On Tuesday, November 15, at 7 p.m. at the Church of the Holy Cross, the Daniel Island Historical Society will present a special program featuring the authors of the recently released book We Are Charleston - Tragedy and Triumph at Mother Emanuel. Leading the discussion will be Herb Frazier, a journalist, writer/editor, and current marketing and public relations manager for Magnolia Plantation and Gardens; Dr. Bernard Powers, a professor of history at the College of Charleston and noted history consultant; and Marjory Wentworth, poet laureate of South Carolina, whose poems have been nominated for the prestigious Pushcart Prize five times. The authors will share the delicate process they undertook in writing the book, the history lessons they discovered along the way, and why this very important story is in many ways America’s story.

The program is free and open to the community. The Church of the Holy Cross is located at 299 Seven Farms Drive on Daniel Island. For additional information on DIHS, visit www.dihistoricalsociety.com.