Emanuel Nine, Ronald McNair to be remembered during SC Heritage and Humanities Festival

“This year’s festival will begin with a moment of reflection to remember the nine individuals who lost their lives in the Charleston Church Massacre on the 10th year anniversary of the horrific event. The Rev. Larry Simmons, a native of Charleston and a member of the South Carolina Heritage and Humanities Festival Advisory Board will conduct a candlelight service to honor the servant leaders who died that night,” said Byron Brown, the festival’s founder and organizer.

This will be the first of many candlelight services throughout the state leading up to June 17, the night the shooting took place.

“This year’s theme, “Help Along the Way: A Holistic Approach to Empowering Black Youth in Education” – a pressing matter so crucial today with regards to the development of our black youth’s true potential and capacity – will be expounded upon by this year’s festival’s keynote speaker, Dr. William London Thompson, Professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa,” said Dr. Scott Finnie, Co-Chair of the Festival’s Advisory Board.

Each year the festival honors one of South Carolina’s heroes who made an impact on history. “I am elated that we have selected Dr. Ronald E. McNair this year,” said Brown.

“Fitting in with the selected motto of this festive gathering, ‘Inspiring All for a Better Life,’ the selected honoree is an individual who holds a special place in all of our hearts: Dr. Ronald E. McNair, Astronaut and Physicist from Salt Lake City, South Carolina who died serving his country with six other crew mates in the fateful and tragic explosion at the launch pad of the Space Shuttle Challenger on Jan. 28, 1986.” added Finnie.

“As a collective demonstration of acknowledgement, reflection and respect, those in attendance will be blessed to corporately uphold those whose lives were taken during the devastating Charleston Church Massacre by means of a moment of silence in memory of its 10th Year Anniversary (June 17, 2015),” said Finnie.

“I am most appreciative of the organic growth that is occurring with the festival. We have successfully moved beyond merely singing, dancing, and clapping our hands. We are now connecting, molding, shaping, and building a brighter future for all South Carolinians and everyone who joins us,” says Brown.

May this year’s festival continue on the upward trajectory set forth by the 13 previous gatherings where the reservoir embodying the rich culture and heritage of South Carolinians can be fruitfully harvested on behalf of the upcoming generations behind us: “Inspiring All for a Better Life,” said Finnie.

“ Each year, I remain grateful as I realize the expressions of creative arts, music, poetry, and motivational talks are all instruments of transformative ideas that are engaging, enriching and empowering that lead us to mutual respect and appreciation for one another. The festival program these layers of powerful energy that causes synergy to surge.”

“I am joyously looking forward to people coming from all direction of South Carolina to Eutawville, to share their talents, to have fun, to put aside our differences and to celebrate the many blessings we are endowered with as citizens of the great and beautiful palmetto state of South Carolina,” said Brown.