Ten years ago, on June 17, 2015, a group of worshipers entered Mother Emanuel AME Church for a Bible study, in Charleston, South Carolina. Though they stepped into the oldest AME church in the South to strengthen their walk with God, they were joined by one visitor who had a different motive.
Driven by racial hatred, the young man they had welcomed with open arms, opened fire during Bible study. By the end of the night, nine of the 12 parishioners in the room lay dead– including a sitting state legislator, Rev. Clementa Pinckney, of South Carolina’s 45th District.
Since then, community leaders say little has been done to protect others from falling victim to similar fates due in part, due to stark differences between Democrats and Republicans on the need for tougher laws…