A white supremacist murders nine Black worshippers during Bible study at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston.
At a Glance
- Date
- 17 June 2015
- Location
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Key people
- Clementa Pinckney
- Category
- Civil Unrest & Racial Violence
- Source
- Court records (2017) · Britannica
What It Meant Then
The massacre struck one of the oldest Black congregations in the South.
What It Means Now
It spurred the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the South Carolina capitol.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “The Charleston Church Massacre.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-charleston-church-massacre/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). The Charleston Church Massacre. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-charleston-church-massacre/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “The Charleston Church Massacre.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/the-charleston-church-massacre/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.