Four Things You Need To Know About The Burning Of Black Churches In The U.S.

In just one week in 2015, seven predominately black churches in the south were burned — from Humboldt, Tennessee to Tallahassee. This is the story of those churches and the hundreds that burned before them. All data via Silk.co.

Map of Burnings since 1995

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While contemporary new cycles have witnessed a recent surge in the deliberate targeting of black churches - specifically arson - these trends have existed for decades. Since 1995, over 300 black churches have burnt, either partially or completely, with the majority of those attacks occurring in the South.

The year 1996 represents nearly 39.2% of burnings of black churches that occurred since 1995, followed by 1997 (16.7%) and 1998 (13.7%).

Map of Burnings in 2015

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All of the recent burnings in 2015 occurred in the South and in the aftermath of the mass shooting at the Emmanuel AME Church. The fire at Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal in South Carolina is still being investigated. Its burning triggered the painful memories of 1995—when the church was burned to the ground by the KKK.

Number of Burnings since 1995

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The year 1996 remains the deadliest year for the burning of black churches. More churches were burned in 1996 than in the years between 19970-1999.

Location of Burnings

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This chart represents the top-5 states during that period where black churches were burnt. Texas represents the majority of burnings (35), followed by South Carolina (30), Alabama (27), North Carolina (23), and Georgia (21)––all southern states.

Learn more about the history of the burning of black churches by checking our the official database and its affiliated article.

Note: The data presented only includes arson attack data of black churches and affiliated property and does not include other forms of attacks, such as vandalism. In addition, inconclusive investigations of burnings in 2015 were included as arson in the database.