| National Response |
Understanding Hate | ||
| How Hate Stalks The Vulnerable | ||
| Wanda Mitchum Interview | ||
| Why Burn Churches? | ||
| The Making of A Skinhead | ||
| Web of Hate | ||
Responding To Hate | ||
| Heroes Against Hate | ||
| Resources for Responding | ||
| Fighting Hate | ||
 | National Response | |
From January 1, 1995 to September 8, 1998, there were 670 church arsons, bombings or attempted bombings, plus another 420 fires deemed 'accidental' or 'undetermined'. In 1996, President Clinton formed the National Church Arson Task Force (NCATF) to identify and prosecute the arsonists, help communities rebuild the burned houses of worship, and offer assistance in preventing more fires. The NCATF's report to the President states that these are all "serious crimes with devastating consequences for the people and communities affected. In some instances, the history of the community was destroyed, including records of births, baptisms, marriages and deaths. "However, when actual or perceived racial hatred has sparked the arson of a church, the crime is even more egregious. In the African-American community, the church historically has been a primary community institution. It was the only institution that was permitted during the years of slavery. It was the institution that enabled people to read. It has been the institution that formed the backbone for a tremendous amount of political activism. Critical events of the civil rights movement, such as the Montgomery bus boycott, had their genesis in the church. Many leaders within the African-American community grew up in the church or remain ministers of the church. So, for the African-American community, it was decidedly disturbing to see the number of churches being burned." (The National Church Arson Task Force Second Report to the President, November 1, 1998; emphasis added) One possible way to read the last sentence above is that for whites the church burnings have not been so disturbing. That is precisely the point conveyed by the program's title: FORGOTTEN FIRES. |