UPDATED, 1:30 p.m., Jan. 3 | President Joe Biden will head to Charleston on Monday to speak at the historic Emanuel AME Church in the latest signal of a campaign eager to shore up standing with Black voters.
At 1:15 p.m. today, Charleston Mayor-elect William Cogswell said he was inviting Biden to speak at the City of Charleston’s Monday inauguration ceremony while the president is in town. The ceremony for Cogswell and council members is set to take place at noon Monday in front of City Hall at 80 Broad Street, followed by a reception at Washington Square Park. Both the ceremony and reception are open to the public.
“On such a historic day, I would be honored to have President Joe Biden to give remarks at our city’s formal inauguration ceremonies,” Cogswell said in a press release. “Charleston is a world-class city, and we want to showcase our city government and employees to our President.”
The visit marks Biden’s first trip to the church since his vice presidency under former President Barack Obama. It is one of the oldest Black churches in the South and is the site where nine churchgoers were shot and killed by white supremacist Dylann Roof in 2015.
“Whether it is white supremacists descending on the historic American city of Charlottesville, the assault on our nation’s capital on January 6 or a white supremacist murdering churchgoers at Mother Emanuel nearly nine years ago, America is worried about the rise in political violence and determined to stand against it,” Biden-Harris 2024 Principal Deputy Campaign Manager Quentin Fulks said in a statement. “The president’s return to the Palmetto State marks the fourth time as president to talk directly to voters who propelled him to the highest office in the land four years ago.”
Biden’s visit also underscores how critically he regards the state. South Carolina will hold the nation’s first sanctioned Democratic primary on Feb. 3, and the president’s team is under pressure to demonstrate strength among the minority-heavy Democratic electorate there.
Details on the timing of the president’s visit and the contents of his speech were not immediately available, according to media reports. Biden’s trip Monday will come just two days after Vice President Kamala Harris will be in Myrtle Beach to give remarks about freedom to the Seventh Episcopal District AME Church Women’s Missionary Society.
In other recent headlines:
Burgess sworn in as North Charleston’s fourth mayor. North Charleston officially has a new mayor for the first time in nearly 30 years. The former police chief is now leading the state’s third-largest city.
North Charleston fire chief retires, passes torch. Fire Chief Gregory Bulanow hung up his helmet and transferred command with a final radio transmission this week, the department said.
What to expect in the 2024 S.C. legislative session. South Carolina lawmakers are heading back to the Statehouse as the second year of the two-year 125th Session gets underway on Tuesday.
- Earlier CP coverage: Hate crimes, judicial reform, education among top 2024 issues
Proposed bill offers solution to S.C. affordable housing crisis. Rep. Wendell Jones of District 25 along with other elected officials prefiled H. 4544, which will allow churches to build affordable housing without being taxed.
Mental wellness event inspires resilience for Charleston students at IAAM. Charleston high school students got a glimpse at what resilience means and how to manage their mental health while taking in a historic setting.
New federal bill could help disaster aid reach S.C. residents faster. In the aftermath of severe weather events, much of the money that goes to support local recoveries depends on a complex web of nonprofits and government agencies. A new bill hopes to streamline the process.
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