Strike at the Black church, and you strike at the heart of Black American life.

As the nation grapples with the massacre at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., one of the oldest Black churches in the South, other Black churches have become recent targets of arson. From slavery and the days of Jim Crow through the civil rights movement and beyond, white supremacists have targeted the Black church because of its importance as a pillar of the Black community, the center for leadership and institution building, education, social and political development and organizing to fight oppression. Strike at the Black church, and you strike at the heart of Black American life.

A list of the fires:

• June 21, College Hill Seventh Day Adventist church in Knoxville, Tennessee:

Knoxville Fire Department spokesperson D.J. Corcoran says bags of dirt and bales of hay were left on fire outside the church’s doors. The church’s van was also seriously damaged. “When I look at this I see, I think of an intention to try to destroy this entire church. It makes it sad. It’s sad either way that someone would put their mind to try to damage a church that’s trying to help people,” said Hobdy.

Knoxville PD say "the incident is not being investigated as a hate crime and the incident appears to be vandalism."

• June 23, God's Power Church of Christ in Macon, Georgia:

When firefighters arrived, the front doors were wired shut and they had to enter through a side door, the local newspaper the Telegraph reported. [...] The fire was ruled an arson, though police are not calling it a hate crime. “We are not seeing anything at this time that’s pointing us in that direction,” Sgt. Ben Glea­ton told the Telegraph.

• June 24, Briar Creek Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina:

NBC News reported that more than 75 firefighters were needed to extinguish the three-alarm fire, and an hour passed before the blaze was under control. Two firefighters received medical treatment for heat-related injuries. The church sustained $250,000 in damage, including a collapsed ceiling and significant damage to a space used for a children’s summer camp. The sanctuary was spared, sustaining smoke damage along with the gymnasium.

This fire was determined to be caused by arson and is being investigated as a hate crime.

• June 24, Fruitland Presbyterian Church in Gibson County, Tennessee:

Crews tore down what was left of a wall at Fruitland Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, just hours after fire destroyed the building. “Well, it's just sad,” Elaine Dooley, a former church member, said. “It’s just like losing a family member.”
The Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office along with the ATF are trying to determine what sparked Tuesday night’s fire. Agents said they took pictures and samples from the scene and plan to canvass the neighborhood.

• June 26, Greater Miracle Temple church in Tallahassee, Florida:

The fire caused more than $700,000 in damage and is considered a total loss, said Tallahassee Fire Department spokesman Capt. Mike Bellamy. Charring can be seen near where the exposed wires detached from the building. That's where TFD and State Fire Marshal investigators are beginning their investigation.

• June 26, Glover Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Warrenville, South Carolina:
  

Aiken County sheriff's deputies and agents from the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are looking into the fire. Capt. Eric Abdullah, public information officer for the Aiken County Sheriff's Office, said no cause has been determined, and his office has given the case to investigators from SLED.