Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation appoints three new board members ahead of Emanuel Nine Memorial opening
August 13, 2026
Chris Singleton, Joe Campbell and Kevin Sack join the Foundation as it prepares to open the Memorial this fall
The Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation has appointed Chris Singleton, Joe Campbell and Kevin Sack to its board of directors as the Foundation prepares to open the Emanuel Nine Memorial this fall.
The three new board members bring personal, professional and community connections to Mother Emanuel AME Church and the Foundation’s mission to honor the Emanuel Nine, support the survivors and preserve their stories for generations to come.
The opening of the Emanuel Nine Memorial will mark a major milestone for the Foundation and the Charleston community. The Memorial will provide a permanent place for remembrance, reflection and education while sharing a message of empathy, forgiveness and enduring love.
Chris Singleton is a nationally recognized speaker and bestselling author whose work focuses on resilience, unity and choosing love over hate. His mother, the Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, was one of the Emanuel Nine.
Following her death in 2015, Singleton turned his grief into a career in advocacy, public speaking and education. He has written several children’s books focused on inclusion and diversity, as well as “Stories Behind Stances,” which explores how people can look beyond their differences and find common ground. Before beginning his speaking career, Singleton played baseball at Charleston Southern University and spent two seasons in the Chicago Cubs’ minor league system.
Joe Campbell is a longtime member of the board of trustees of Mother Emanuel AME Church and a respected leader within the congregation and Charleston community. He has played an important role in supporting the preservation, governance and continued ministry of the historic church.
Since the 2015 shooting, Campbell has remained a steady voice for the congregation through its grief, healing and continued community engagement. He is also a recipient of the Emanuel Nine Humanitarian Award. His service on the Foundation’s board will help keep the Memorial closely connected to the church, the survivors and the families it was created to honor.
Kevin Sack is a journalist whose work has focused on race, national affairs and the American South. He spent 30 years as a senior writer for The New York Times and previously reported for the Los Angeles Times and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. His reporting contributed to three Pulitzer Prizes, including the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting.
Sack wrote “Mother Emanuel: Two Centuries of Race, Resistance, and Forgiveness at One Charleston Church” after moving to Charleston in 2019 to research the church’s 200-year history. The book was a finalist for the 2026 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction and received the Willie Morris Award for Southern Writing. Sack has also taught journalism at Princeton University.
“Chris, Joe and Kevin each bring a meaningful connection to Mother Emanuel and a strong commitment to honoring the Emanuel Nine,” said Deona Smith, executive director of the Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation. “Their leadership comes at an important time as we prepare to open the Emanuel Nine Memorial this fall and welcome the public to a permanent place of remembrance, reflection and education.”
Singleton, Campbell and Sack join a board of directors made up of leaders from Charleston’s faith, business, education and civic communities. The board is led by the Rev. Eric Manning, senior pastor of Mother Emanuel AME Church, and John C.L. Darby, CEO and chairman of the board of The Beach Company, who serve as co-chairs.
About the Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation
The Emanuel Nine Memorial, which is being led by the Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation, is designed to be a permanent public space honoring the nine worshippers who were killed during Bible study on June 17, 2015, by a white supremacist. The site also honors the five survivors, the resilience of the congregation and all people impacted by hatred and racial violence. The Emanuel Nine Memorial invites people of all faiths and backgrounds to reflect, remember and bear witness. The memorial will open in the fall of 2026.
The Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation was formed in 2017 and is an independent organization with a board of 15 members. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with independent governance and financial oversight and is fully responsible for the memorial. The foundation board is co-chaired by Reverend Dr. Eric Manning, senior pastor of Mother Emanuel, and John Darby, CEO of The Beach Company, a prominent, family-owned real estate development company established in Charleston in 1945.
To support the Emanuel Nine Memorial and the Survivors’ Garden, or to learn more, visit emanuelnine.org.
