On June 17, 2015 Mother Emanuel AME Church was the site of an act of vicious, racist terror.

We, along with our families, friends, and neighbors, are grieving, and we speak the names of those we’ve lost:

Cynthia Hurd

Rev. Clementa Pinckney

Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton

Tywanza Sanders

Ethel Lance

Rev. Depayne Middleton-Doctor

Susie Jackson

Rev. Daniel Simmons, Sr

Myra Thompson

As scholars of African American history, culture, and experiences, we remain committed to activist scholarship and we insist that #BlackLivesMatter. We believe that the wrongs of the past can be made right, but only if we are willing to confront those wrongs with courage and honesty. We stand with others in our community, including Governor Haley, in calling for the removal of the confederate flag from the statehouse grounds. We also, though, remind our community that this act alone will not dismantle the legacies of slavery Jim Crow that remain with us, including a segregated school system, significant income disparity, and police harassment and brutality.

We have been moved and encouraged by the show of support, sympathy, and unity in the days following the murders. We look forward to continued support and unity as we work for much needed change in this place we call home.