On Tuesday Dylann Storm Roof was sentenced to death for the 2015 Charleston church shooting, an action that has given a sea of mourners a sense of closure.
In December of 2016 Roof was convicted of 33 federal charges related to the shooting of nine Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) congregants at the historically black parish.
The list of charges against the 22-year-old included acts of murder and hate, all of which are ones that Roof has shown no remorse over and still believes he had to commit.
Myra Singleton Thompson was one of the eight that died at the hands of the shooter on June 17th, while the ninth person perished at a local South Carolina hospital hours later.
In a moment of reflection, Kevin Singleton described his mother, Myra Singleton, as a mother, friend and prayer warrior.
Thompson gave Faithwire his first reactions to the judgement that came down by the jury run Roof case. Saying, “I believe justice was served and it’s a great deterrence.” And now,”(our family) would like to move forward and somehow find peace after the media, the sympathy and everything is gone. We still have to live with this forever.”
The family members that lost a loved one to the hands of the man who has identified himself as a white supremacist have found what Singleton called “justice.”
MOVING FORWARD
To move on, Singleton has gotten strength from his deeply rooted tie to AME. Saying, “Nothing can deter that.”
The church in mourning has also preached the importance of forgiveness, the power of faith and the importance in following Jesus.
The AME Facebook page now features this image, which puts the tragedy into eternal perspective.
“The greatest tragedy is not Death, but life without Jesus,” the image reads.
To honor Myra, Singleton has started Passion to Forgive, a non-profit dedicated “To empower youth to reach their full potential by providing educational programming and resources to underserved youth and their families,” the official website said.
Explaining that “I named it Passion To Forgive because we were looking for, that Passion, because that’s what my…mother stood for. It’s very difficult to take that position living in today’s time. I felt I had a platform to lead for our youth instead of my personal feelings.”
To mourn the loss of his mother, Singleton has dressed up as Santa Claus to bring some holiday cheer to the students at James Simons Elementary School this past December.
Saying to the local paper, Post and Courier of North Carolina, “This brings some happiness. It’s good therapy” he said in his Saint Nicholas suit while giving away toys to the children.
On the special day held right before Christmas, he explained that “I think it’s good for them. A bicycle goes a long way.”
This marks the second year of the program. During this year’s presentation, he stated that,”I think she would be very happy and proud” of the group and his efforts to give back to the school he attended and the one his mother taught.
Passion To Forgive is focused on doing wonderful acts of love and kindness. To donate please follow link on website.
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Must Read:
Dylan Roof Sentenced to Death for Charleston Church Shooting
A Year of Grief and Grace for Charleston Church
Credits: The feature photograph for this story was provided by Singleton Media Group