Mt Zion AME Church Fire: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
President Bill Clintonand ReverendTerrence Mackey pray in front of the new Mt. Zion AME Church in 1996 before Clinton spoke at the dedication of the new church. The church replaces one destroyed in 1995 by a suspected arsonist. The church burned again on June 30, 2015. (Getty)
A fire has heavily damaged the Mount Zion AME Church in Greeleyville, South Carolina, according to reports on Twitter.
It is at least the seventh black church in the South to burn since nine churchgoers were fatally shot at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina by a racially motivated gunman.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Firefighters Are Still Battling the Blaze
A local official confirmed the fire to the Charleston Post and Courier, saying firefighters were battling the blaze Tuesday night at the 564 Mackey Road church.
The official said the cause of the fire is not yet known.
2. The Church Was Burned Down by the KKK in 1995
President Bill Clinton( reads his radio address on June 8, 1996 at the White House in Washington, DC. With him are Reverend Terrence Mackey, left, from Greeleyville, SC and Reverend Alvin Anderson, from Tennessee both of whom had their churches attacked by arsonists. (Getty)
The church was burned to the ground in 1995 by two men who claimed to be affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan, according to a 1996 article from the Chicago Tribune.
The two men admitted to setting the June 20, 1995 fire. The 1995 fire came during a rash of fires at black churches, with more than 70 reported between 1995 and 1996, according to the Tribune report.
The church was rebuilt a year later, with President Bill Clinton speaking at the re-dedication.
3. Greeleyville is About an Hour Away From Charleston
Greeleyville is located in Williamsburg County, South Carolina, and is more than an hour away from Charleston, where the shooting at the Emanuel AME Church occurred.
Heavy storms did move through the area Tuesday night, local reporters said on Twitter.
4. The FBI is Investigating a String of Fires at Black Churches in the Wake of the Charleston Shooting
There have been at least six fires at black churches since the Charleston shooting on June 17, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times. But only two of those fires are suspected to be caused by an arson attack, the Times reports.
Those fires occurred June 24 at the Briar Creek Baptist Church in North Carolina and June 21 at God’s Power Church of Christ in Georgia.
There string of fires, whether arson or not, has raised people’s attention on social media, and the FBI says it is investigating, according to Buzzfeed News.
#WhoIsBurningBlackChurches went viral this week, as many accused the media of ignoring the fires.
According to Buzzfeed, there were fires reported in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
“They’re being investigated to determine who is responsible and what motives are behind them,” FBI spokesman Paul Bresson told Buzzfeed.
5. The NAACP Has Warned Black Churches to be on Alert
The NAACP has put black churches on alert and asked them to take “necessary precautions” as a result of the fires.
source: Mt Zion AME Church Fire: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com
President Bill Clintonand ReverendTerrence Mackey pray in front of the new Mt. Zion AME Church in 1996 before Clinton spoke at the dedication of the new church. The church replaces one destroyed in 1995 by a suspected arsonist. The church burned again on June 30, 2015. (Getty)
A fire has heavily damaged the Mount Zion AME Church in Greeleyville, South Carolina, according to reports on Twitter.
It is at least the seventh black church in the South to burn since nine churchgoers were fatally shot at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina by a racially motivated gunman.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Firefighters Are Still Battling the Blaze
A local official confirmed the fire to the Charleston Post and Courier, saying firefighters were battling the blaze Tuesday night at the 564 Mackey Road church.
The official said the cause of the fire is not yet known.
2. The Church Was Burned Down by the KKK in 1995
President Bill Clinton( reads his radio address on June 8, 1996 at the White House in Washington, DC. With him are Reverend Terrence Mackey, left, from Greeleyville, SC and Reverend Alvin Anderson, from Tennessee both of whom had their churches attacked by arsonists. (Getty)
The church was burned to the ground in 1995 by two men who claimed to be affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan, according to a 1996 article from the Chicago Tribune.
The two men admitted to setting the June 20, 1995 fire. The 1995 fire came during a rash of fires at black churches, with more than 70 reported between 1995 and 1996, according to the Tribune report.
The church was rebuilt a year later, with President Bill Clinton speaking at the re-dedication.
3. Greeleyville is About an Hour Away From Charleston
Greeleyville is located in Williamsburg County, South Carolina, and is more than an hour away from Charleston, where the shooting at the Emanuel AME Church occurred.
Heavy storms did move through the area Tuesday night, local reporters said on Twitter.
4. The FBI is Investigating a String of Fires at Black Churches in the Wake of the Charleston Shooting
There have been at least six fires at black churches since the Charleston shooting on June 17, according to a report by the Los Angeles Times. But only two of those fires are suspected to be caused by an arson attack, the Times reports.
Those fires occurred June 24 at the Briar Creek Baptist Church in North Carolina and June 21 at God’s Power Church of Christ in Georgia.
There string of fires, whether arson or not, has raised people’s attention on social media, and the FBI says it is investigating, according to Buzzfeed News.
#WhoIsBurningBlackChurches went viral this week, as many accused the media of ignoring the fires.
According to Buzzfeed, there were fires reported in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
“They’re being investigated to determine who is responsible and what motives are behind them,” FBI spokesman Paul Bresson told Buzzfeed.
5. The NAACP Has Warned Black Churches to be on Alert
The NAACP has put black churches on alert and asked them to take “necessary precautions” as a result of the fires.
source: Mt Zion AME Church Fire: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy.com