Source: Brian Stablyk / Getty
Who is burning black churches? Twitter outrage grows as seventh church burns down in 10 days http://t.co/8urzBHmOLy
— Max Abrahms (@MaxAbrahms) July 1, 2015
Mt. Zion AME Church in Greeleyville, South Carolina erupted in flames late Tuesday, becoming the seventh to burn in the past 10 days in an increasingly troubling list of fires at Black houses of worship across the South, according to CNN.
Six of the fires are under investigation by the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and arson is suspected in at least three of the blazes, the report says.
Twenty years ago, two members of the Ku Klux Klan set fire to Mt. Zion’s original structure, and then-President Bill Clinton attended the dedication of a new structure in 1996. He called for an end to racial terrorism.
Now over 20 years later, the timing of the fire at Mt. Zion and others raises questions about racial terrorism, coming in the aftermath of the massacre last month at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, that left nine people dead and ignited a debate about the Confederate flag.
Reports Mashable:
Officials say the fire at Mt. Zion AME Church Tuesday was brought under control before midnight, and a local meteorologist told the Post and Courier that heavy storms brought lightning to the area, possibly setting the blaze. Another said the lightning had passed by the time the fire was first reported.
Meanwhile, outrage and concern over the fires on social media sparked the Twitter hashtag “WhoIsBurningBlackChurches:”
An attack on the Black Church is an attack on black society. The Church remains the epicenter of black culture. #WhoIsBurningBlackChurches
— Tejado W. Hanchell (@TWH_PhD) July 1, 2015
Southern black church is latest to burn as NAACP warns of attacks http://t.co/7lKYUU1DoU
#WhoIsBurningBlackChurches pic.twitter.com/ZGQCFiQHuI
— Independent US (@IndyUSA) July 1, 2015
SOURCE: Mashable | PHOTO CREDIT: Twitter
On Wednesday, South Carolina State Rep. Cezar McKnight and Congresswoman Alma Adamsjoined Roland Martin on NewsOne Now to discuss the latest details about the fire that demolishedMt. Zion AME Church. Watch their conversation below.
Be sure to watch “NewsOne Now” with Roland Martin, weekdays at 9 a.m. EST on TV One.
SEE ALSO:
5 Black Churches Hit By Fires In Week After Mother Emanuel Attack
ARTICLE FROM: NewsOne.com
Article Courtesy of Mashable and News One
First Picture Courtesy of Getty Images and News One
Second and Third Picture and Tweets Courtesy of Twitter and News One
Video Courtesy of News One
Fire At 7th Black Church In 10 Days Sparks Outrage & Concern was originally published on wzakcleveland.com
