BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY Clementa C. Pinckney
| Clementa C. Pinckney | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pickney's official portrait courtesy Emanuel AME Church | |
| Member of the South Carolina Senate from the 45th district | |
| In office 2001 – 2015 | |
| Preceded by | McKinley Washington, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | TBD |
| Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from the 122nd district | |
| In office 1997 – 2000 | |
| Preceded by | Juanita Mitchell White |
| Succeeded by | R. Thayer Rivers, Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Clementa Carlos Pinckney July 30, 1973 Beaufort, South Carolina |
| Died | June 17, 2015 (aged 41) Charleston, South Carolina |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Jennifer Benjamin |
| Children | Eliana and Malana |
| Parents | John Pinckney Theopia (Stevenson)[citation needed]Pinckney |
| Residence | Ridgeland, South Carolina |
| Alma mater | Allen University University of South Carolina |
| Profession | Minister |
| Cabinet | Board of Directors, Southern Mutual Insurance Company |
| Religion | African Methodist Episcopal |
| Nickname(s) | Clem |
Clementa Carlos "Clem"[1] Pinckney (July 30, 1973 – June 17, 2015) was a Democratic member of the South Carolina Senate, representing the 45th District since 2000. He was previously a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1997 through 2000.[2]
Pinckney was a senior pastor at Mother Emanuel A.M.E. in Charleston.[3][4] On June 17, 2015, Pinckney was killed in a mass shooting at an evening Bible study at his church.[5][6][7]
Early life and education
Pinckney was born in Beaufort, South Carolina, the son of Theopia Aikens (née Brooms; 1945-2005), an early childhood development educator, and John Pinckney.[8][9][10]
Pinckney began preaching at his church at age 13, and by age 18, he was appointed pastor.[2]
He graduated with a B.A. from Allen University in 1995 and went on to obtain a Master of Public Administration degree from theUniversity of South Carolina in 1999.[2][11] Pinckney was a student at Wesley Theological Seminary pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree.[12]
Career
Religious career
Pinckney preached in Beaufort, Charleston, and Columbia, South Carolina.[13] He became pastor of Emanuel A.M.E Church inCharleston, South Carolina in 2010.[14][15]
Pinckney was among several South Carolina pastors to hold rallies after the shooting of Walter Scott in 2015, attracting some local controversy.[2]
Legislative career
Pinckney was first elected to the South Carolina General Assembly in 1996 at the age of 23, becoming the youngest African American elected as a South Carolina state legislator.[16] He served in the South Carolina House of Representatives until being elected to the South Carolina Senate in 2000.
As a state senator, Pinckney pushed for laws to require police and other law enforcement officials to wear body cameras after Walter Scott, an unarmed black man, was shot eight times in the back by a police officer in North Charleston.[2]
Personal life
In 1999, Pinckney married Jennifer Benjamin in Augusta, Georgia, whom he met while he was at Allen University and she was at theUniversity of South Carolina. [17] The couple, who lived in Ridgeland, South Carolina, has two daughters, Eliana and Malana.[10]Pinckney was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, a historically black fraternity.[18]
Death
Pinckney spent much of his last day, June 17, 2015, campaigning with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Charleston.[citation needed] That evening, he led a Biblestudy and prayer session at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, where he was senior pastor. A shooter, identified as Dylann Roof, opened fire on the congregation, killing Pinckney and eight others.[19] While the FBI investigated the mass shooting as a hate crime,[2][20] many others considered the attack a racially motivated act of terrorism, and criticized law enforcement and the media for not labeling it as such.[21][22]
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