10 Years After the Emanuel 9, Georgetown Fights for a Hate Crimes Ordinance While Republicans Play Politics
- Brandon Upson
- Jun 12
- 4 min read
By Brandon Upson | New Progressive Journal Chief Political Correspondent
Georgetown, SC -- Ten years ago, the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, was shattered by a racist massacre. Nine Black parishioners were murdered in cold blood during Bible study by a white supremacist. The tragedy, now known as the Emanuel 9 Massacre, shocked the world and sparked calls for meaningful hate crimes legislation in South Carolina.
A decade later, those calls still echo across the state. South Carolina remains one of only two states in the country without a hate crimes law on the books, alongside Wyoming. Despite repeated efforts by Democratic lawmakers like State Representative Wendell Gilliard—who has filed a hate crimes bill every legislative session since the massacre—progress has been consistently stalled by a Republican-led General Assembly.
“We cannot continue to be the face of inaction,” Gilliard said in a statement earlier this year. “South Carolina must finally say we will not tolerate violence or threats against people because of who they are.”
Yet while the state legislature drags its feet, local leaders are stepping up. In the coastal city of Georgetown, Councilwoman Tamika Williams Obeng has been tirelessly advocating for a municipal hate crimes ordinance. Her fight has faced persistent roadblocks—most notably from Mayor Carol Jayroe and Republican members of the city council who have, until now, refused to even place the ordinance on the agenda.
But with elections looming, those same Republicans are suddenly changing their tune.
During a Facebook Live post this week, Marilyn Hemingway, Chairwoman of the Georgetown Democratic Party and a well-known community leader, called out the hypocrisy in real time.
“Hate will not win! It’s time for the mayor and city council members of City of Georgetown to pass the Hate Crime Ordinance. Tamika Williams Obeng has been working to get this done. 10 years from Mother Emanuel massacre is 10 years too long!”
This shift in Republican support appears less about principle and more about politics. After years of indifference, Mayor Jayroe and Councilman Jonathan Angner are now publicly backing the ordinance—but only after they refused to put it on the May council agenda.
In a tense Facebook exchange, Councilman Angner claimed:
“…Carol Jayroe, Mayor, City of Georgetown and I met with the NAACP 10 days ago and assured them it would pass 7-0 at the next council. We tried to have it on the agenda for May but the full council would not have been there.”
Hemingway didn’t hold back in her response:
“Jonathan Angner, we know exactly what happened. Don’t try to clean it up now… Shame on you and the Mayor for politicizing a serious issue. Shame! If you were serious about passing this ordinance you would have done it earlier and NOT during an election cycle so you and your fellow candidates can make a mockery of this issue. Stop playing games with the right of people to live and breathe freely.”
The timing is suspect. After months of delay and resistance, the ordinance is now on track to be passed in the middle of an election year. Democratic challengers aren’t buying it.
Today, Democratic city council candidates, Hobson Henry Milton, Jessie M. Walker, and Sharon Melton, held a press conference demanding that the city pass the ordinance not as a campaign stunt, but as a real commitment to the safety and dignity of Georgetown’s diverse residents.
“Our communities deserve leadership that protects us year-round—not just in election season,” one candidate said. “This ordinance isn’t a photo op. It’s a promise.”
Georgetown is not a Republican stronghold. In recent presidential and midterm elections, the city’s voters have leaned blue. In 2020, Georgetown favored Joe Biden over Donald Trump, and Democratic candidates consistently carry the city’s precincts. Local Republicans are clearly feeling the pressure to align themselves with popular policy priorities like hate crimes protections.
But community leaders like Councilwoman Obeng have been clear: this is not about political survival. It’s about moral leadership.
If passed, the ordinance would mirror similar local laws across the country that add protections and penalties for crimes motivated by race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other protected characteristics. It would give local law enforcement and prosecutors a tool to respond when residents are targeted because of who they are.
More importantly, it would send a message that Georgetown refuses to be silent or complacent in the face of hate.
South Carolina’s failure to pass a statewide hate crimes law remains a stain on its reputation—a fact not lost on national civil rights organizations. In 2022, the Anti-Defamation League issued a report noting the state’s dangerous inaction. [1]
Representative Gilliard continues to push for a statewide solution, and local actions like Georgetown’s may be what finally tips the balance. But only if those actions are sincere.
As we reflect on the 10-year anniversary of the Emanuel 9, we must ask: Are our leaders honoring their legacy, or exploiting it?
Hate has no place in Georgetown—or anywhere in South Carolina. It’s time for real courage, not campaign optics.
Sources
[1]: Anti-Defamation League. “South Carolina Must Act on Hate Crimes Legislation.” https://www.adl.org
[2]: Charleston City Paper. “Why SC still doesn’t have a hate crimes law.” April 2023.
[3]: SC Legislature Online. H.3014 (Hate Crimes Bill) introduced by Rep. Wendell Gilliard.
[4]: Post and Courier. “10 Years Later: Remembering the Emanuel 9 and the fight that continues.” June 2025.
[5]: Marilyn Hemingway Facebook live post, https://www.facebook.com/share/v/15eXH7SppM/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Great Article Pray ing that this Bill We Become Law Here in S.C.
Why, after all these years, is South Carolina still one of only two states without a hate crimes law? As someone looking in from the outside, I can’t help but wonder what’s behind the "reluctance", according to those against it. What is their, "Why?"
they don't care about us. period. our jobs gone. they don't want us downtown. took over the city so they could push us out.
Hopefully this piece and other intentional conversations will encourage South Carolina lawmakers to do right by its citizens.
Unfortunately, if you told me that 2 states in this country don’t have Hate Crime laws and asked me to try and guess, I would’ve guessed South Carolina. It’s shameful that Republicans are only now supporting this legislation publicly out of fear of being voted out in the upcoming elections.