Dylan Storm Roof entered Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church under the guise of love and proceeded to slaughter congregants like lambs in order to terrorize and intimidate African Americans.
It appears Roof’s plan was to galvanize the faithful to ignite a White power movement where Blacks once again are subjugated and oppressed to the whims of southern Whites.
“The South shall rise again” is what the confederate flag stands for – to those who proudly display it at state capitals, court houses and trailer parks across the south. And Roof was one of many diehard racists wrapped up in “old Dixie” rhetoric. But he said others only talked on the internet and he decided to take matters into his own hands.
Thankfully, America is moving away from its racist past as illustrated by the elections of South Carolina politicians Nikki Haley, Indian American governor, and Tim Scott, African American elected to the U.S. Senate. Together, along with Sen. Lindsey Graham, call for the removal of the confederate flag from state capital grounds.
President Barack Obama said the “confederate flag belongs in a museum.” Taking it a step further, it belongs right alongside other Confederate memorabilia collected after Robert E. Lee’s surrender to Ulysses Grant ending the civil war in 1865; after absorbing a brutal defeat at Appomattox.
Rev. Clementa Pinckney senior pastor Mother Emanuel church, Charleston, South Carolina and the other eight victims should be held in high esteem, especially after accepting Dylan Roof into their bible study class without fear. But they hadn’t a clue of what Roof’s intentions were as they discuss the bible until his true purpose unfolded. He reminds many of the old biblical saying, ‘a wolf in sheep’s clothing is still a wolf.’
Born in Columbia, S.C, Roof selected his target carefully. He didn’t go to one of several predominately Black Colleges in the state and let loose, nor did he chose to enter a night club frequented by African Americans; but he selected a church knowing full well he wouldn’t get any resistance and would be welcomed.
Not just any church mind you, he chose Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church with a long history in Charleston of fighting for the rights of its Black citizens. Denmark Vesey who led a failed slave revolt in 1822 was one of the church founders. Vesey was executed and the church was later torched by the White power structure, only to be rebuilt years later.
With the tragedy inflicted upon church members by Dylan Roof, Mother Emanuel will once again rise to serve the African American community of Charleston. And just maybe the confederate flag will be put to rest–forever.
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