Kevin Sack, veteran journalist and author, has spent a decade documenting the history and legacy of Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, site of the tragic 2015 shooting that claimed nine Black worshippers’ lives. In his new book, Mother Emanuel: Two Centuries of Race, Resistance, and Forgiveness in One Charleston Church, Sack explores the church’s deep roots, its role in the civil rights struggle, and the complex meaning of forgiveness in the aftermath of racial violence.
Sack, who covered Black churches extensively for The New York Times, was drawn to the story immediately after learning the Charleston shooting targeted an AME congregation. “My heart just sank,” he recalled. Determined to tell more than the tragedy, Sack traced Mother Emanuel’s 200-year history, highlighting its role as a spiritual and political beacon in the South, from Reconstruction-era leaders like Rev. Richard H. Cain to modern figures like Rev. Clementa Pinckney.
The book also delves into the church’s ongoing challenges, including declining membership, gentrification, and costly repairs to its historic building. Sack describes how forgiveness offered by victims’ families after the massacre served as a form of empowerment and resistance rather than reconciliation with the killer.
Despite initial wariness toward a white outsider chronicling their story, Sack earned the trust of the congregation through years of careful research and presence. “It took me 10 years to feel I had what it took to write this book,” he said.
Mother Emanuel sheds light on a church that symbolizes both Black resilience and the continuing struggle for justice in America.
