Notre Dame fundraisers inspire donations to burnt black churches in Louisiana

A fundraiser to support three historically black churches in Louisiana burned down in recent arson has sparked renewed support following the fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral, which has collected over 1.3 million dollars donations since Tuesday morning.

The wave of donations came a day after the fire that ravaged part of the historic Parisian church, sparking a deluge of international support. On Tuesday, three of the richest families in France pledged more than $ 500 million to rebuild the cathedral. the Trump administration also promised to provide help.

While efforts to support Notre Dame Cathedral pouring huge sums of money, activists, journalists, and politicians turned to social media in the United States to signal that fundraising was continuing, it also needed pay attention to churches in Louisiana, shaken by arson. and struggled to reach their donation goal. The message was further amplified by personalities such as the former secretary of state and the former first lady Hillary Clinton, journalist Yashar Aliand retired NFL player Benjamin Watson.

"It is imperative to show this community and the whole country that this type of act does not represent who we are," said Watson, who actively participated in fundraising during the past week. noted on Twitter.

A GoFundMe fundraiser to support churches has been active since April 10th. The fundraiser is being organized by the Seventh District Baptist Association, a group of 60 active churches in southwestern Louisiana, and is also supported by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards and pastors. of the three burned churches. Fundraising indicates that all the money raised "will be distributed equally among the three churches for not only the rebuilding of their sanctuaries, but also for the purchase of all the necessities lost during the fires, including benches, sound systems, musical instruments, etc. "

The fundraising was initially aimed at raising $ 600,000 for the churches, but after re-evaluating the damage, the amount was tripled to $ 1.8 million. Tuesday morning, the campaign had raised less than 100,000 US dollars according to the New York Times. On Wednesday afternoon, the campaign raised about $ 1.4 million.

After the fire of the Louisiana Church, "all you see is charcoal"

According to local authorities, the three churches, all located in Saint-Landry parish, Louisiana, were intentionally torched for ten days in late March and early April. The first fire occurred on March 26 at St. Mary Baptist Church. On April 2, the Great Baptist Union was burned. Two days later, the flames destroyed the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church. Local authorities investigated the fires with the help of the FBI and ATF.

On April 10, police arrested Holden Matthews, a white man and the son of a 21-year-old neighborhood sheriff, for allegedly lighting the flames. Matthews, who according to local authorities, "has demonstrated the characteristics of a pathological firefighter", has now been charged with arson and hate crimes charges. Matthews could also face new federal charges. He should be tried in September.

When the first church fires attracted public attention in early April, they were quickly compared to a long history of attacks on black churches in the United States. United, including the bomb attack perpetrated against the XVI Street Church of 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama. black churches across the United States from 1995 to 1996, and the 2015 mass shooting of black worshipers at the Emanuel African Episcopal Methodist Church in Charleston, South Carolina. As a result of the Charleston shooting, several fires in black churches across the country fueled concerns over a wave of criminal fires targeting black houses of worship.

"For decades, African American churches have been the epicenter of survival and the symbol of hope for many members of the African-American community," said NAACP President Derrick Johnson , in a statement of 8 April. "As a result, these houses of faith have always been the target of violence."

In Louisiana, the authorities initially avoided pretending that the three fires were motivated by racial considerations. The faithful noted that the fires had cost decades of history, reducing Bibles, centennial financial records and documents, and handwritten sermons.

"All you see is charcoal," said Freddie Jack, president of the Seventh District Baptist Association, at The New York Times. "It's a total and total loss on all three sites."

Even with rising funds, churches still have a long way to go as their congregations begin the rebuilding process. The Times notes that even if each church had insurance coverage is limited and will not cover all costs. Jack added that churches will also have to be built in accordance with standards adopted after Hurricane Katrina, requirements that will likely increase the cost of reconstruction efforts.

Members of churches in Louisiana say they are ready to go ahead, that the fires have not shaken their faith and that they are grateful for the support received. "This will help our community," Pastor Gerald Toussaint, pastor of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, told CNN. "What the devil meant for evil, God will do something good."