A historic African American church building in Tennessee that was heavily damaged by an arson attack has received around $1.5 million in donations for its restoration.
Clayborn Temple Church of Memphis, a closed church that had ties to the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, was severely damaged by an arson incident in April.
However, multiple foundations have donated approximately $1.5 million to help rebuild Clayborn Temple, The Associated Press reports.
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Donors include the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Ford Foundation, according to the AP.
Established in 1892 as Second Presbyterian Church, the building was sold to an African Methodist Episcopal congregation in 1949, which named it Clayborn Temple.
Throughout its history, Clayborn was a hub of Civil Rights activism, serving as a gathering place for striking Memphis sanitation workers in 1968.
The strikers’ notable “I AM A MAN” signs were printed in the church basement, and the property featured a display of that phrase in large letters as a homage to the protest.
The church itself closed in 1999, with the building being in the process of undergoing a $6 million renovation project when an unknown party set fire to it in April.
Soon after the fire, it was announced that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had joined the investigation, with a spokesperson telling The Christian Post in late April that it was “the only federal agency responsible for enforcing federal arson statutes” and “maintains a cadre of experts in the fire investigation field.”
“ATF routinely investigates place of worship fires to determine if there has been a violation of the Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996,” the spokesperson explained to CP.
“The statute prohibits intentionally defacing, damaging or destroying religious property (or attempting to do so) because of the race, color, or ethnic characteristics of any individual associated with such property.”
Last month, the Memphis Fire Department issued a statement regarding its investigation into the fire, concluding that “the fire was intentionally set on the interior of the historic church. A person of interest is being sought by Investigators for their possible involvement in this fire.”
“The Memphis Fire Department will continue conducting this investigation to apprehend who is responsible for setting the fire at this historic church,” stated the department.
MFD also announced that it was relinquishing control of the site back to the preservation group Historic Clayborn, and expressed gratitude for the work of local and federal investigators.
