Race, Racism, and Redemption
posted by Ja'Shawn Steward-Johnson | September 13, 2017 | In Arts and Culture, NewsLast Wednesday, September 20th, the Impact Movement organization hosted an event titled “Shades of Black: a conversation about race, racism, and redemption.” The discussion’s guest speaker was Mrs. Jennifer Pinckney.
Pinckney is the widow of late Clementa Pinckney, the South Carolina state senator and the pastor of Emanuel A.M.E. until white supremacist terrorist Dylann Roof gunned him and eight others down in the church on June 17, 2015. Jennifer Pinckney and their daughter Malana were also there on the tragic night, hiding in the church office.
She described the experience: “It is very much a process. I still have my moments.”
Sometimes she still cries, she admitted. She mentioned crying in the shower sometimes and even breaking down crying on her daughter, once.
Jennifer Pinckney spoke for about an hour on what happened that night, as well as speaking about the great man that her husband was.
“He welcomed that young man, the other members that was there, they welcomed that young man and that young man had ulterior motives. And when they bowed, when they went into prayer to close out a prayer. Pop, pop, pop…. Clementa was the first…”
After her monologue, guest Jimmy McGee, the president and CEO of the Impact Movement organization joined her onstage for a Q&A session that lasted around thirty minutes. McGee acted as the moderator as Pinckney answered the questions. (The audience was invited to ask questions via text message through a number provided.)
McGee called the Q&A session: “an opportunity. It is not a panacea. It’s a process of unpacking.”
The first question asked Pinckney whether nonviolence is an effective strategy considering that it has been preached for fifty plus years.
“You gotta start somewhere. You got to continue, you can’t keep fighting. If you can touch some of the people and pull them over… it’s just like when you’re in church, if you’re talking a good talk I feel like you can eventually pull over some people, you can’t pull everyone over but…” Pinckney trailed off.
Pinckney was also asked her opinion on the controversial organization, Black Lives Matter.
“I support Black Lives Matter. And, I feel like not only black lives matter but all lives matter. I just feel like we all need to stop fighting and come together,” Pinckney said.
McGee also asked Pinckney on whether she felt like she got justice. (Dylann Roof was sentenced to death on January 11th, 2017.) There was a very noticeable, long pause before Mrs. Pinckney began to answer the question.
“With that, I put that in God’s hand. My sister and I went back and forth for days. We saw the bodies, we saw what the entire room looked like after it happened. We left the courtroom really torn. Yes, we want the death penalty, he deserves it. On the other side, let him sit in jail,” Pinckney said.
She also noted that by the time the decision would be given, she was at peace with either option: “‘Cause I knew he was getting convicted.”
Another question asked Pinckney if she forgave Dylann Roof.
“In the beginning, no, we didn’t [forgive him]. In the beginning, we were still in shock, we were very numb.”
She then shared that, in the immediate aftermath of her husband’s death, she had the state law enforcement and all other types of agencies in the yard on the lookout, but she still insisted on taking her daughter to her dance lessons.
Jennifer Pinckney and Clementa married in 1999 and they have two daughters together– Eliana and Malana.
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