Against the Trend
The explosion of black church burnings bucks the national trend. Arson attacks against all churches and related properties (white owned, black owned or otherwise) dropped steadily from 1,420 in 1980 to 520 in 1994, according to statistics provided by the National Fire Protection Association. But during the 1990s, arson attacks on black churches have risen steeply. Notably, two attacks occurred against black churches in January 1990—evidently to denigrate the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Arsons that year, as determined by a USA Today research team, totaled 13, although statistics were not available from all southern states. 52 more churches burned between 1991 and 1993. While congregations involved were devastated, the nation by and large failed to notice. The conflagrations surged to 25 in 1994, climbing to 27 in 1995 and then to 40 in the first six months of 1996—an epidemic of one or more attacks per week. USA Today noted two zones where arson attacks have been heaviest since January 1995, one that includes western Tennessee and northern parts of Mississippi and Alabama, the other concentrated along Interstate 95 in South Carolina and North Carolina. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has been involved in the investigation of the burnings for years—such arsons are its responsibility to solve. Although news accounts indicate 250 ATF and FBI agents are working on the matter, an informed source told Freedom the actual number of federal personnel is closer to 750. The question is, with all this manpower, why don’t we know more? Why haven’t all of the individuals responsible been brought to justice? And, more importantly, why haven’t the burnings stopped?
A Fire on the Cross continued...
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