Emanuel Nine memorial opens in Charleston, 11 years after church massacre

A long-planned memorial to the nine Black churchgoers killed at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, opened to the public on Saturday. It comes eleven years after a white gunman killed them inside the South's oldest African Methodist Episcopal church ¹. AME stands for African Methodist Episcopal.

The victims were attending a Bible study on June 17, 2015 ². The gunman was an avowed white supremacist ¹. The memorial sits at 110 Calhoun St., beside the church ².

On tapeWCBD NEWS 2 · Nov 13

▶2:16

What visitors will see

The marble memorial is anchored by a Fountain of Grace. Water flows from a shallow basin etched with the names of the six women and three men who were killed ¹.

Two Fellowship Benches with curved backs flank the fountain. A Cross of Hope signifies redemption after suffering ¹. A garden honoring the five survivors will come next ¹.

Architect Michael Arad, who worked on the 9/11 Memorial, designed it. Church leaders chose him in part for written answers to deep questions on topics like forgiveness ¹. The foundation raised about $25 million over the last decade, much of it from foundations, endowments and corporations ¹.

Families look back

Alana Grant's grandfather, the Rev. Daniel Lee Simmons, was killed. She said it took years to find the strength to enter the church basement. She says the memorial gives the public a place where "people can go and remember really what happened here" ¹.

On tapeWCNC · Nov 11

▶13:10

The Rev. Eric Manning, a co-chair of the memorial foundation, leads the church. He took over after pastor and state Sen. Clementa Pinckney was among those killed ¹.

Just for a moment, a peace came over me.

Malcolm Graham's sister, Cynthia Graham Hurd, died in the shooting. He said he looks forward to remembering the good times they shared growing up in the church ¹.

A fight that is not over

The families applauded in 2015 when Gov. Nikki Haley removed the Confederate battle flag from state buildings ¹. Graham says the country still has far to go ¹.

racism, hatred and discrimination continue to be this country's Achilles' heel.

The Associated Press-style wire report ties that warning to Republicans who are stirring an angry backlash against diversity and equity efforts ¹. That is the report's description of the political climate, not Graham's own words.

A South Carolina bill named for Pinckney would add enhanced penalties for hate crimes to the state's criminal code. Alana Grant's husband, state Rep. Hamilton Grant, is among the lawmakers who pushed it. It failed to pass ¹.

Alana Grant also plans to bring her three small children to the memorial. She wants them to learn about their great-grandfather from her rather than from someone else ¹.

That matters because a memorial can honor the dead but cannot by itself change the law. South Carolina still has no hate crimes statute, according to the families' own push for one ¹. The memorial's fountain, benches and names will now be open to anyone who visits.

The Record

1. Jun 17, 2015Nine Black parishioners are killed during a Bible study at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston ².
2. Sep 15, 2026Local reports announce the Emanuel Nine Memorial will open to the public on Nov. 14 ².
3. Nov 14, 2026The memorial opens to the public, with a survivors' garden still to come ¹.

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<h2>Emanuel Nine memorial opens in Charleston, 11 years after church massacre</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files National Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/emanuel-nine-memorial-opens-in-charleston-11-years-after-church-massacre">The GOP Files</a> on Saturday, November 14, 2026.</em></p> <p>A long-planned memorial to the nine Black churchgoers killed at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, opened to the public on Saturday. It comes eleven years after a white gunman killed them inside the South&#39;s oldest African Methodist Episcopal church . AME stands for African Methodist Episcopal.</p> <p>The victims were attending a Bible study on June 17, 2015 . The gunman was an avowed white supremacist . The memorial sits at 110 Calhoun St., beside the church .</p> <h2>What visitors will see</h2> <p>The marble memorial is anchored by a Fountain of Grace. Water flows from a shallow basin etched with the names of the six women and three men who were killed .</p> <p>Two Fellowship Benches with curved backs flank the fountain. A Cross of Hope signifies redemption after suffering . A garden honoring the five survivors will come next .</p> <p>Architect Michael Arad, who worked on the 9/11 Memorial, designed it. Church leaders chose him in part for written answers to deep questions on topics like forgiveness . The foundation raised about $25 million over the last decade, much of it from foundations, endowments and corporations .</p> <h2>Families look back</h2> <p>Alana Grant&#39;s grandfather, the Rev. Daniel Lee Simmons, was killed. She said it took years to find the strength to enter the church basement. She says the memorial gives the public a place where &quot;people can go and remember really what happened here&quot; .</p> <p>The Rev. Eric Manning, a co-chair of the memorial foundation, leads the church. He took over after pastor and state Sen. Clementa Pinckney was among those killed .</p> <blockquote><p>Just for a moment, a peace came over me.</p><p>&mdash; Eric Manning, co-chair, Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation board</p></blockquote> <p>Malcolm Graham&#39;s sister, Cynthia Graham Hurd, died in the shooting. He said he looks forward to remembering the good times they shared growing up in the church .</p> <h2>A fight that is not over</h2> <p>The families applauded in 2015 when Gov. Nikki Haley removed the Confederate battle flag from state buildings . Graham says the country still has far to go .</p> <blockquote><p>racism, hatred and discrimination continue to be this country&#39;s Achilles&#39; heel.</p><p>&mdash; Malcolm Graham, former North Carolina state senator and Charlotte City Councilman; brother of victim Cynthia Graham Hurd</p></blockquote> <p>The Associated Press-style wire report ties that warning to Republicans who are stirring an angry backlash against diversity and equity efforts . That is the report&#39;s description of the political climate, not Graham&#39;s own words.</p> <p>A South Carolina bill named for Pinckney would add enhanced penalties for hate crimes to the state&#39;s criminal code. Alana Grant&#39;s husband, state Rep. Hamilton Grant, is among the lawmakers who pushed it. It failed to pass .</p> <p>Alana Grant also plans to bring her three small children to the memorial. She wants them to learn about their great-grandfather from her rather than from someone else .</p> <p>That matters because a memorial can honor the dead but cannot by itself change the law. South Carolina still has no hate crimes statute, according to the families&#39; own push for one . The memorial&#39;s fountain, benches and names will now be open to anyone who visits.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/emanuel-nine-memorial-opens-in-charleston-11-years-after-church-massacre">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/emanuel-nine-memorial-opens-in-charleston-11-years-after-church-massacre.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. ABC News, “Memorial opens honoring victims of the 2015 Charleston church massacre” (2026-11-14). abcnews.com/US/wireStory/memorial-opens-honoring-victims-201
2. ABC News 4 (Charleston), “Emanuel Nine Memorial set to open Nov. 14” (2026-09-15). abcnews4.com/news/local/emanuel-nine-memorial-set-to-open-no

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