Dylann Roof:

What you did to my city, and the beautiful lives that you took from my city, can never be forgotten or forgiven.

What you did was a reminder of just how little racial progress has really been made in the United States. It is a reminder that white supremacy is in fact on the rise in the United States, and that racism will never die with older generations. Racism is an epidemic passed down from parent(s) to child.

When you carefully formulated your plans, and plotted your attack, you lost any right to plea insanity. You rationalized your attack. You carried it through methodically, and I am sick and tired of hearing that you are just one crazy kid who “wasn’t right in the head.” Call it what it is: white supremacy and domestic terrorism.

You are the all-too-common incarnation of white male dominance and southern racial hierarchy. You are the product of a culture that systematically refuses change or growth or knowledge. You walked into the Mother Emanuel A.M.E Church with clear intentions: to execute the innocent, strictly because of the color of their skin. You walked into a place of worship -- one that welcomed you with open arms -- to start a new race war in the city where the first one began.

However, you have failed in that attempt, because our city is growing, changing and learning as a result of your hate crimes. Though there are still those here just like you, whether they be hiding behind business suits or boldly brandishing confederate flags on their front lawns, there are so many more of us. There are so many more of us here who stand for peace, love and acceptance. There are more of us here who fight for knowledge, truth and justice.

I am glad that you have been found guilty, but I hope that justice is truly served somehow in the years to come. I hope that as a city and as a country, we can collectively stand up together and fight the rise of white supremacy and racial oppression in our country. I hope that we can do these things in spite of you. I hope that through your actions, we can initiate a movement for change.