Skip to main content

Pelosi Statement on the Anniversary of the Charleston Church Shooting

June 16, 2017

Contact: Ashley Etienne/Caroline Behringer, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released this statement marking two years since the racist act of violence that killed nine parishioners at the historic Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C. on June 17, 2015:

"Two years ago, nine innocent men and women were gunned down at Bible study in one of the nation's oldest black congregations. The memory of this horrific act of racial hatred is made all the more painful by the other events of this week: the attack on Members of Congress in Virginia, the shooting that killed three people in San Francisco, and the one-year remembrance of the Pulse shooting that killed 49 people in Orlando.

"Our hearts break for the victims of all these tragedies and our prayers go out to the families and communities that have been torn apart by gun violence. But let this moment of tragedy stiffen our resolve: we must stand up to such evil acts and denounce hatred and bigotry, wherever they appear.

"Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.' Mother Emanuel and the Charleston community continue to honor those words with their faith and deep reservoir of love. May their courage and resilience guide us and give us strength during this difficult time."

# # #