Mourners remember beloved pastor Rev. Clementa Pinckney
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The spirit of the church spilled onto the streets of Charleston today--as thousands of mourners lined up to attend the funeral of Rev. Clementa Pinckney.
For some, it brought back memories of Martin Luther King Jr.
"Pinckney is like a modern day MLK, he was all about doing right thing," one attendee said. "If you knew him he was a real nice person. A real sweet person."
Patrick Emerson, a Charleston resident for more than a decade, thought it was important to bring his 14-year-old son.
"The grief that everyone has felt has been a huge unifying factor," he said.
By mid-morning, the 5,000 plus seating arena was at capacity. Deidre Weymer never believed she would be turned away after waiting since 6 a.m.
"I guess we are just fighting tears back cause we can't believe we can't get in, kind of heartbroken," she said.
The crowd moved to overflow centers. Some fainted waiting in the high heat and humidity.
Blacks and whites stood shoulder to shoulder to pay tribute. Rev. Noah Nyamaropa was grateful to have the chance to mourn his friend.
"It has healed my wounds and I feel happy that he died for a good cause," he said.
And the goodbyes are not over yet. There are two wakes at Emanuel AME Friday night and six more on Tuesday.
