Cohen Joins President Obama at Charleston Church Shooting Funeral Service

[CHARLESTON, SC] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, joined President Barack Obama and a Congressional delegation including several members of the Congressional Black Caucus at this morning’s funeral service for the late Reverend Honorable Clementa C. Pinckney, a member of the South Carolina Senate and pastor of Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Following the service, Congressman Cohen issued the following statement:

“I appreciate the President inviting me to join him in Charleston today and wish to express my condolences to the family and loved ones of all the victims of last week’s hateful killings at Emanuel A.M.E. Church,” said Congressman Cohen. “I’m both honored and humbled to share this somber day with the members of Emanuel AME and the entire Charleston community whose response to this tragedy has been inspiring and shows us the power of love and forgiveness.”

The Congressman continued: “The killings last week were a terrorist attack on all African Americans and on humanity itself. They are a wake-up call that we must be more vigilant against hate. I am proud to have authored and passed the first Congressional apology for slavery when I arrived in Washington. I hoped it would help spark a conversation about the lingering effects of slavery and Jim Crow in our society. This morning’s service and the response of the community here in Charleston should inspire conversation and motivate elected officials to take the actions necessary to rectify the remaining consequences of America’s original sin.”