Wells Fargo becomes first corporate supporter of Emanuel Nine Memorial

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Wells Fargo has granted $500,000 to the Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation board for construction of the Emanuel Nine Memorial.

The Rev. Eric S.C. Manning, senior pastor of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, said Wells Fargo is the first corporation to support the memorial that will be built on the church grounds. The foundation received its first major donation for the memorial earlier this year from the Robert and Janice McNair Foundation.

In 2015, nine clergy and church members were murdered at Mother Emanuel, a historically black church. The memorial foundation announced plans in July 2018 for the construction of a memorial to honor those who were killed.

Juan Austin, Wells Fargo community relations senior manager, said the company is committed to honoring the victims, supporting their families and recognizing the efforts to embrace diversity and inclusion in Charleston and across the country.

“As we reflect on the meaning of this memorial, we join the City of Charleston in promoting unity and supporting our community to understand the most urgent problems and solutions that can have the most impact to help build strong, inclusive and vibrant community,” Austin said in a news release.

Manning said the church is grateful to Wells Fargo for being the first corporation to support the memorial.

“Their leadership means a lot to the project and also to the Emanuel Nine families and the congregation,” he said.

The memorial, designed by architect Michael Arad, who also created the Sept. 11 memorial in New York, includes a courtyard, a marble foundation etched with the names of the Emanuel Nine and a survivors garden. The garden will be surrounded by six stone benches and five trees to symbolize the five survivors, with the sixth bench signifying that the church is a survivor.