Womble Carlyle Announces Commitment to Healing Process Following Charleston Tragedy

COLUMBIA, SC – Womble Carlyle attorneys and staff join the Charleston community and the nation in mourning the nine lives lost at Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church. The firm is committed to assisting in the healing process and outlined today some of its plans.

Specifically, Womble Carlyle’s Chair and Chair-Elect announced their personal support for efforts to remove the Confederate flag from the State Capitol grounds and the firm’s financial commitment to organizations involved in the short-term healing process and the long-term efforts to unite people of all races.

“The entire Womble Carlyle community was shocked and saddened by the tragic events that took place in Charleston last week, and we are committed to doing all we can to ensure that similar occurrences do not occur in the future,” said Keith Vaughan, Womble Carlyle’s current Chair. “We recognize that the first step is assisting in the very important healing process now underway and that in the long term the focus must be on eliminating what divides us while promoting programs that will foster greater understanding and unity.”

Betty Temple, Womble Carlyle’s Chair-Elect and a partner in the firm’s Greenville office added: “Keith and I applaud Governor Haley and numerous other elected officials in their efforts to remove the Confederate flag from the grounds of the State Capitol.   Our hope is that both the healing process and the efforts to achieve racial unity will benefit from these efforts, truly building on the remarkable example set by the Emanuel AME Church members, the victims’ families and the Charleston community.”

Vaughan and Temple stressed that more important than their personal expressions of support for the community efforts currently underway is Womble Carlyle’s commitment to organizations specifically addressing healing and promotion of unity through greater understanding. Temple identified two such organizations as the primary recipients of firm and individual contributions. “We are extremely impressed with the plans for the International African American Museum in Charleston and believe it represents an excellent opportunity for establishing the type of understanding that is essential to long-term solutions and unity. Likewise, the Emanuel AME Church Fund benefits the people most impacted by this tragedy. The Emanuel AME Church has long been a champion of unity and justice for all, and will remain so.”

Vaughan summarized the firm’s commitment in this way: “While we are saddened by what occurred last week, all of us at Womble Carlyle are inspired by the response of those most directly impacted. We are committed to being part of both short- and long-term efforts to strengthen the communities we serve.”