Pharrell Performs at Site of South Carolina Church Shooting

Yesterday (Nov. 1), Pharrell graced the stage of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopalian Church in downtown Charleston, SC. Known locally as Emanuel AME, the church was the site of the brutal mass shooting this June, allegedly carried out by a 21-year-old white man named Dylann Roof. As part of the continued effort to stitch the community back together following the grisly act, the star performed “Freedom” for the congregation, before greeting members of the church and its staff. Footage from the performance is not yet available, but is expected to air as part of a simulcast slated for this month. Tentatively titled Shining a Light: A Concert for Progress on Race in America, the event will be recorded at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Nov. 18, and will air two days later, on Nov. 20 at 8:00 p.m. EST and PST on A&E, History, Lifetime, H2 and more, as well as the entire iHeartRadio network. Performers will include Jamie Foxx, Jill Scott, John Legend, Miguel and more, and will be comprised of live performances and previously-taped songs from other venues.

The shooting at Emanuel AME occurred on June 17, just after 9:00 p.m. local time. Roof allegedly opened fire on a group of churchgoers attending a Bible study session. Witnesses at the church, which is historically Black, say that Roof justified his plans after pulling a gun from a fanny pack, saying, “I have to do it. You rape our women and you’re taking over our country. And you have to go.” All told, nine people died, including Clementa C. Pinckney, the church’s pastor and a South Carolina state senator. President Barack Obama delivered the eulogy and Pinckney funeral. Roof has been charged with nine counts of murder and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime.

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