talking a millennial voters voters under 30. we as a party are not going to attract them on taxes. we're not going to at trkt them on trade. we're not going to attract them on any other issue we believe in unless we first show them that we are with them when it comes to gay right gar marriage. that's three years ago. we haven't seen a lot of movement. a few come out and say they support gay marriage. i think there's been a lot of waiting certainly within the republican party for a definitive coast to coast, 50-state decision like we have today. certainly that doesn't -- i don't mean to underestimate the the agree of opposition that still is going to exist in the republican party but i think as sort of a temporary move interim move, what i think we might start hearing from very prominent republicans, that line that marco rubio said in his statement saying we need to respect this decision. i think that's a very -- a very key change of tone if resee that

from more people. >> from all of our viewers joining us, this is our continuing coverage on msnbc. noon on the east coast, 9:00 out west. it's already been quite a day. just two hours ago the supreme court issued a landmark ruling saying that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. marriage equality is now the law of the land in all 50 states. it was a 5-4 decision with justice anthony kennedy writings for the majority and reaction is still pouring in. >> today's ruling from the supreme court affirms what millions across this country already know to be true in our hearts. our love is equal. that the four words etched on to the front of the supreme court, equal justice under law, applied to us too. all americans deserve equal dignity, respect, and treatment when it comes to the recognition of our relationships and

families. now at long last ohio will recognize our marriage and, most important, marriage equality will come to every state across our country. >> hearing there from jim ogre lead plaintiff in this case. nbc news justice correspondent pete williams joins us now. pete, we can hear the applause that people are still having. recap for us and explain the questions that the justices answered. >> right. this is a very unusual scene here thomas. as we look around you know two hours after a supreme court decision the crowd usually starts to thin out but it's been growing since this decision. the police have blocked one lane of traffic off here on the street that separates us from the u.s. capitol. at one point the crowd actually did the unusual thing of surging on up to the plaza and the police just sort of gave up and let them. i don't know what that was all about, whether people just wanted to be closer to the supreme court or what. but it was a very unusual scene. as for the decision 5-4, the courts four more rib lal

justice, opinion written by justice anthony kennedy who has written all of the court's other important gay rights rulings, justice kennedy says that marriage, the right to marry the person of your choice is a fundamental right and that deny that right to same-sex couples would deprive them of the constitution's guaranty of liberty. concludes the opinion say nothing union is more profound than marriage, embodies the highest ideals of love and devotion to family. they ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. the constitution grants them that right. there's a word that justice kennedy has used so often and especially just two years ago in a decision striking down the defensive marriage act, dignity. once again today is his opinion uses that word dignity. the depriving same-sex couples of the right to marry would make them second class citizens and would harm their children. each of the four conservatives wrote their own dissent.

they don't say that there's something fundamentally wrong with gay people. they say, you know we have no problem with gay people getting married. the question for sus who should decide? it shouldn't be the courts. it should be the legislatures. that is the substance of the dissent. as a result of this decision same-sex marriage now is the law of the land. bans in 14 states that still refused either by -- i think in all the 14 states now, take constitutional amendments that ban same-sex marriage those are all struck down and those states will now have to not only issue marriage licenses of their own to gay couples in the state but they'll also have to recognize same-sex marriage of couples who were legally married in another state and move to those states. and those states will ing some immediately, some within the next few weeks and months, to follow the supreme court's ruling today. >> pete, let's just give everybody an idea out of the 14 states that you talk about, we have 36 states in the district of columbia that recognizes

marriage equality. so these 14 states in the south and the midwest are going to have to stop enforcing the bans. so two notes we're just handed to me. sioux falls, south dakota south dakota attorney general saying the same-sex marriage ruling is effective now. it's up to counties to issue those licenses. so counties will get to work on determining how quickly they will do that. the report does not say that there is anybody that's going to hold up in certain counties how effectively they do it. pete interestingly, the mississippi attorney general, jim hood says that same-sex marriages cannot take place immediately in that state. couples start applying. this is what it says for, marriage licenses within moments of the ruling but federal appeals court in new orleans must first lift a hold on gay marriage court cases in mississippi. hood says he doesn't know how long that will take. >> that is technically -- that

is a legal technical matter. that's correct. i mean, the states can go either way on this. they can either say, you know what, it's going to happen let's just go for it. or they can say, let's stick with the letter of the law. so even though we have the opinion in our hands today, even what the court has pronounced what the law is the ruling doesn't actually have legal force until the court takes another step what's called issuing the mandate, to the states and the lower courts that were involved here directing them to take action to put the ruling into effect. so the attorney general there is right. and they can either, you know, wait and follow the rules or they can just go ahead and do it. it's up to them but some states may wish to play it out according to the strict legal procedure. >> issuing the mandate, when does that happen? >> you've put me on the spot here. i'm not sure whether it's ten day or 30 days. >> okay. >> i'll have to check and get back to you on that. >> okay. that never happens. stumping pete williams.

>> oh, yes, it does. >> you are allowed that. >> okay. >> outside the supreme court. i want to go right now, joining us one of the plaintiffs in the marriage equality case stories that we have followed very closely here. me personally at msnbc rob ta talmus, their attorney ari melber at the supreme court. but joe vatally and rob are here in studio with me. let me start with you though because i talked with the guys. talk with susan, her reaction because cooper was -- i don't know susan, can you hear me? >> i can hear you, yes. >> okay. >> cooper was your youngest client. you've never had a 2-year-old to represent before. obviously this is a big win for you. this is a success in the right column for your legal practice. >> that's right. cooper is going to grow up in america where his parents' marriage is fully respected, his family is fully respected, and children like him some day, if

they choose to marry a person of the same sex they know that's their option. it's a great day for children like cooper and for many all around the country. >> technically you are working in close connection with cooper's parents who we have here. and, joe and rob, for you guys i know you didn't make it down there to the steps of the supreme court. rob, let me ask you first. are you disappointed that you're not there or are you okay to be watching it at a distance from here but know that you won? >> no we made a conscious decision to be in our home state to celebrate here in new york with everyone. our hearts and minds are with everybody in d.c. and we're so excited for everybody there. but, yeah, joe and i wanted to be here in the state that recognized us first and supported us and we're just very happy to be here. >> joe, since susan can hear us do you have a message for her and the hard work that she's demonstrated for you, your family cooper? >> i think susan knows.

the first text i sent after our family was to susan that we loved her very much she's been extremely supportive and cooper just loves playing with aunt susan. susan, we love you. give a kiss to everyone down there. we can't wait to party with you. >> thank you. don't make me cry again. >> thomas while we have susan, i think another point that would be great to hear from you about given what the courts decided is for a long time the notion we discussed this throughout the day, the notion that straight parents were better quote, unquote, at raising children was enshrined in this precedent. it was part of the argument. and then we saw -- tell us about how at oral argument this came up and the idea that a marriage exists only for pro creation between certain people straight people that argument didn't carry the day. >> not at all. families like rob and joe's and so many others like them actually put the lie to my notion that same-sex couples aren't every bit as wonderful

parents as anyone else. and we also know that lots of people marry for many other reasons as well, besides child rearing. but today's decision means that families that do have children, same-sex couples, can raise those children with the security and dignity of acceptance for their families. and this means a tremendous amount. >> thomas? >> ari melber thanks so much. and joe and rob, thank you for allowing us to meet and see cooper for the beautiful 2-year-old that he is and such a big win for you and other american families. back with us is jonathan capepart from the "washington post." jonathan, i want to remind everybody what the president had to say sortly after 11:00. his reaction to this ruling. >> because for all our differences, we are one people stronger together than we could ever be alone. that's always been our story. we are big and vast and diverse, a nation of people with

different backgrounds and beliefs, different experiences and stories, but bound by our shared ideal that no matter who you are or what you look like how you started off or how and who you love america is a place where you can write your own destiny. >> where you can write your own destiny. jonathan, he says we're stronger together than we could ever be alone. i think we also have a live picture of san francisco city hall. i don't think that we can talk about this moment within historical context without going back to san francisco and talking about who is now lieutenant governor of gl gavin newsom, the mayor of san francisco and he is the first person the first politician that allowed for marriage licenses to be distributed to gay and lesbian couples. he really is the person that galvanized the movement the politics and to get people

believing that they had the right to be married. and look at the achievement that flag flying outside of san francisco city hall. >> it was a remarkable bit of sort of a political elected civil disobedience because there were a lot of people who weren't really happy with what then mayor gavin newsom did. but because of what he did he sort of ignited this spark that has led us to this day. and i know we've talked about this many times before but we can't talk about it often enough that this particular date, june 26th, is a very -- will go down i think as a very special date for lgbt americans and in american history. it was on this date in 2003 that the supreme court struck down sodomy laws that criminalized same-sex relationships in the lawrence v. texas case in 2003 written by justice anthony kennedy. ten years later, june 26th,

2013 the supreme court invalidated the so-called defensive marriage act. again, written by justice kennedy. at that time 12 states had basically legalized marriage equality. immediately after that states began changing either by court or by -- or by legislation, legalizing marriage equality. today when we woke up 37 states in the district of columbia allowed for same-sex marriage marriage equality was legal at 10:01 a.m. the decision written by justice anthony kennedy made it clear that there is indeed a constitutional right to inch what for same-sex couples. so from that political act of civil disobedience by then mayor gavin newsom of the way to the plaza in the supreme court today ave seen a remarkable remarkable shift in this country's attitudes towards

same-sex marriage and lgbt americans, both in terms of the way the country thinks about that community, thinks about our community, to it being reflected in the laws of this land coming through the supreme court of the united states. >> we know the lieutenant governor of california gavin newsom is somewhere celebrating. yes, we cannot talk about what this historic state means from the supreme court without talking about what he did when you talk about that civil disobedience by issuing marriage licenses when he was in mayor of san francisco all those many years ago. one quick thing, though jonathan. martin o'malley said the supreme court affirmed it's a not a state right. human dignity and equality under the law. the american dream is strongest when all are included. there have been a lot of response tons right saying this is a state's right issue, that the supreme court has trampled

on state's right. mashd, in a referendum. they voted in the affirmative for marriage equality maryland. but do we really want to be a country where we put minority rights up to a majority vote? >> no, no we should never but the minority up to a popular vote. can you imagine what would have happened in the 1950 orz the 1960s if the civil rights of african-americans were put up for a popular vote? it never would have passed. the courts are there for a reason. and we saw it in the '50s and the '60s when it came to african-americans. we've seen it today when it comes to lesbian, gay, transgender americans. the court are there for a reason, to protect the minority from the xses of the majority. one note about martin o'malley the former governor of maryland of all the people running for president of the united states on both sides, he is the only one who put his own political capital on the line to ensure that marriage equality passed in

his state. >> jonathan capehart, thank you, sir, very much. we are joined now on the telephone by actor and l xwrksgbt activist married to his awesome husband brad altman. >> it is a gorgeous day, indeed. it's a great day, landmark day for all americans. and certainly for lgbt americans because now we can pledge allegiance to the united states of america. one nation, i'd difficult visible visiblevis liberty and justice for all. it's a great day for america. >> george, did you think that we would get to witness this day? i know that there was so much angst delivered in 2008 because of prop 8. it seemed as if it was such a juxtaposition where a country could elect its first black

president and at the same time strip away states' rights from legally married couples in the state of california. are you surprised that we got here this fast? >> you know as a matter of fact that night i remember vividly. i was in the television studio waiting to be interviewed a as the returns were coming in. and it was bittersweet night for me to have barack obama win the presidency of the united states. another landmark event for america. and at the same time hear about the results on proposition 8. and that night, my must say, this day today was hard to imagine. but as a matter of fact after 2013 we started to become very very optimistic. and here we are today, when we're -- we're going to be

literally soaring with joy because we're headed to the airport. and our joy is going to take us up 35,000 feet up. it will be flying back to california from new york. >> so wait so where are you going to be for pride this weekend? i figured you would be the grand marshall somewhere. >> california for that. >> you're going to be in california for that. >> yeah. >> and coming up i know you have also -- i mean in your american story is such a great one not only for being an lgbt activist but the project you've been working on "allegiance," that is still coming to broadway, correct? >> we are going to broadway this fall. we go previews october 6th and open on november 8th. and so 2015 is going to be a very very. important year for us. the story of the incarceration of innocent americans of japanese ancestry may get to

broadway for the first time. it's a ground breaking musical. and to have celebrated this day when we have equality throughout the land. and i think america is better now for this ruling. and certainly we individually -- i mean me george takei, individually, i am better because i have brad in my life. and the fact that that's recognized by our government is a joyous day. >> it is okay to be takei. >> it is. >> as always george takei. thanks george. great talking to you and send my best to brad okay? >> i certainly will. >> thanks so much. >> thank you. so we're going to have more on the historic victory for the advocates of marriage equality as the supreme court rules that same-sex marriage is now the law of the land. this ruling is a victory for america

america. this decision affirms what millions of americans already believe in their hearts when all americans are treated as equal, we are all more free.

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we have read from the bench there is a right to marriage equality. i repeat speaking to you from the steps of the supreme court, there is a right to marriage equality read just from the bench now. >> for the first time the supreme court said there is a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. you can hear the cheer in the crowd. a very dramatic moment here. a 5-4 decision. this is a total vukry for the advocates of same-sex marriage. >> today's ruling from the

supreme court affirms what millions across this country already know to be true in our hearts. our love is equal, that the four words etched on to the front of the supreme court, equal justice under law, apply to us too. >> this ruling is a victory for america. when all americans are treated as equal, we are all more free. >> it has been history in the making here this morning on msnbc. hi, everybody. good afternoon. welcome back to msnbc world headquarters. i'm thomas rontsberts. joining me here in new york for the new yorker and former adviser to president clinton. sir richard, as we heard from the president in the 11:00 hour he talked about the fact that you know through his administration they've done away with doma and don't ask, don't tell. you know the clinton

administration historically instituted don't ask, don't tell and everybody thought that was a major step forward. and could you imagine a day of sitting here like we are now knowing that dom doesn't exist, neither does don't ask, don't tell and the supreme court is affirming marriage equality constitutional right coast to coast? >> i think you're exactly right. it's not only been a historic morning but it's been a very moving one, especially for those of us who have been involved in this effort nor a long time. i thought president obama's remarks were very moving and very appropriate for the leader of our country to come forward and say how proud he was of the country, how proud people who have been involved in this you know, need to be. it's also quite remarkable. you know very rarely do we have a decision from any court, even the supreme court, where all of a sudden, you know, the moment the decision comes down the lives of so many americans change. i mean, you know the supreme court usually deals with rather

esoteric subjects. they often don't -- it's often not a decision that affects real people. but this affects not only the real people involved in the case not only the real people who live in the states that were at issue in the case but real people everywhere real people in all of those states that don't have same-sex marriage -- didn't have same-sex marriage when they woke up this morning, they now have a different, you know, whole set of different operative facts. it's a very rare event when the supreme court issues a ruling and everything changes in an instant like we're seeing today. >> now i'm getting texts from people tweets from people richard, about how they're waking up and it is a brand new day, literally, for so many people. different statements that we're getting in for those interested in running for the white house, run the gamut on the left and the right with people like martin o'malley and hillary clinton believing in this being a victory and other people on the right, from marco rubio to rick santorum to scott walker and ben carson believing that

there is an issue of state's rights being trampled upon. but do you think we've seen the end of the issue for marriage equality at the state level or do you think that there will be deeply entrenched issues in certain states that have long held beliefs and will try to use religious exemptions around this? >> right. well, the campaign for marriage equality which has been the main goal of the gay rights movement for the last 25 years has been successful. there's been total success as of this morning. and every state will have to let gays and leb bylesbians marry the person they want. any official who doesn't do that right away as of this afternoon is really -- it's going to look like very bad forum. and i think very few people will resist the ruling. i notice some of your other guests just a little while ago said there might have to be some

formalities. i think most states will let people do it right away. the issue of gay rights will continue in a lot of venues and it will be very much present in the presidential campaign. hillary clinton, you know, is seeking to try to make it an issue on the left and she's using it as a point of contrast with republicans, but i think the statement by jeb bush and the statement by marco rubio thought to be, you know, two people sort of thought to be more in the mainstream of republican thought this morning would seem to suggest that they are saying let's move forward. let's -- let's respect this court's opinion. i think marco rubio used the -- used that very term we need to respect the court's opinion and move forward. i think there are a lot of republicans who would like to see this issue go away for them because, you know, the middle -- with most independents in the country, i think most reasonable, normal thing people in this country want this issue to be settled. >> yes.

richard, thank you. i'm going ask you to stand by. joining us now is sarah kate alice, president and ceo of g.l.a.d. sarah kate is a young mother a married woman to her wife kristen, two young kids at home. sarah kate first, your reaction personally and professionally to what is a historic day in america. >> sure. hi thomas. well, today i started the day, i brought the kids and my wife into the city to the office. so we got to hear the ruling all together at the g.l.a.d. offices which was pretty profound. really exciting. i was in my heart of hearts felt like it was going to go our way and it did and now we're just really celebrating. but also looking at the future from a professional standpoint, i'm thrilled with the ruling obviously. but i -- you know i have my sights set on where we're headed. we have a lot of work ahead of us. i don't want that to be lost in the celebration but i definitely think we need a couple of days to celebrate. >> yes. and as you talk about the work

ahead and i totally agree with you new york pride being this weekend and there will be much to celebrate and a lot -- people have, you know more reason than just the month of june to be proud, if you're part of the lgbt community, you can be proud every day. but the u.s. military has permitted same-sex wedding ceremonies on bases where it was illegal since 201. kara kate, any military chaplain or clergy can refuse to perform a same-sex marriage if it is not in line with the tenants of their faith. is this where you think the work needs to continue? because as a country, if we're using biblical references we are not supposed to marry people of interfaith or people of interracial marriages or even divorced people are looked upon as a lesser than status if we're using tenets of faith. how do we get marriage equality over the benchmark of where we

are for interracial marriage second or third marriages for divorced people or interfaith marriages? >> i think where we start to get into a slippery slope around religion is when we start to deny services that are far reaching outside of the church or the place of worship. and so when people aren't serving cakes or -- it can lea extreme, not performing medically important services. that's where we get into some really slippery slopes. so i do think that you know we're seeing more and more leaders in the faith community coming out on the right side of this issue and understanding that love is love and that homosexuality is not a sin. so i think that as we move forward, we know that when marriage equality becomes the law of the land acceptance for the lgbt community will inch forward with that. so i'm excited to see acceptance move forward. we have a long way to go until

full acceptance but i think we will start to see it more and more in the faith communities as well. >> as the good irish catholic as you are, are xwrogoing to see the pope in the fall? >> i'm still working on it. yeah. it's really important for him to be meeting with lgbt youths because our youths are, you know -- the homeless population of the lgbt youth is 40%. and a lot of that is religious based and that's where our conversation is. >> sarah kate ellis, president and ceo of glaad. my best to kristen and kids and thanks for joining us today. we're going tv much more on our breaking news coverage right here on msnbc. the historic supreme court decision. but first, more sights and sounds as people learn the news outside the supreme court. >> this journey often comes in small increments. sometimes two steps forward, one step back propelled by the

persistent effort of dedicated citizens. and then sometimes there are days like this when that slow steady effort is rewarded with justice that arrives like a thunderbolt.

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your mom's got your back. your friends have your back. your dog's definitely got your back. but who's got your back when you need legal help? we do. we're legalzoom, and over the last 10 years, we've helped millions of people protect their families and run their businesses. we have the right people on-hand to answer your questions backed by a trusted network of attorneys. so visit us today for legal help you can count on. legalzoom. legal help is here. you wouldn't order szechuan without checking the spice level. it really opens the passages. waiter. water. so why would you invest without checking brokercheck? check your broker with brokercheck. welcome back to this historic day as we are covering the legal development coming from the supreme court where they decided in a 5-4 decision

in the affirmative that marriage equality is constitutional right making the country a seamless coast to coast land of equality. msnbc chief legal ernt cocorrespondent ari joins me now. gays and lesbians being afforded the right to marry. he joins me with the leader plaintiff this this case. jim, let me ask you first about the call from the president. you spoke with him personally. what did he say to you? >> i did, thomas. he hank thethanked me for being willing and able to be part of this and to put my life on the line and out in the public to fight for equality. and he thanked me for helping move our country one step closer to the ideals of equal justice under law. >> you also spoke to the vice president. what did he say to you. >> i did. what i remember most aren't the

vice president is he called me his hero and that was an incredible thing to be told. >> wow. jim, for you, this is a process that you have had to champion by yourself. you're doing this in the loving memory of your husband john and for most people that might not be familiar with your own story. john was suffering from als, but before he passed you flew to maryland and you were married on the runway inside the plane, if i remember correctly, before then flying back to ohio. john you lost not there longafter. but the fact you were not legally recognized in the state of ohio on your husband's death certificate. >> correct. we wanted to -- we filed suit after we got married to fight for that right. we wanted john's death certificate, his last official record as person to be accurate. and that meant our marriage should be reflected there. and i should be listed as his surviving spouse. that's what we were fighting for, dignity and respect.

>> so in the final days that you had with john and through the birth of this process, what did he say to you about taking on this charge and about affording not only the dignity for your marriage but the dignity for his memory? >> well, this was something we really didn't speak about a great deal in his last. months. we talked about purely from the perspective of this was a promise that i had made to him. he had made to me. and that i would continue fighting that honor and respect him. and for us that's all it was. we were living up to our commitments to each other. we spent our time in his last months just living in the moment. we weren't thinking ahead because we knew if we thought ahead, that meant his death. and this was so far in the future that we concentrated just on being together and living

that day. >> and, thomas that point in that line of questioning you're pursuing goes to something that is so significant about this building behind us the supreme court. it doesn't simply announce principles. it deals in individual cases and stories. and that brings us to another question for you, that your story is in this opinion. wint the read from justice kennedy. he's talking about you when he says as some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that endure even past death. what is your feeling about the justice writing about your case in that way? >> it was incredible to hear him talk about us and to have him reference the fact that our marriage our relationship is just as valid and just as important as any other relationship. it means the world to me that he understands that marriage does go beyond death and marriage is much more than raising children

or having children. there's so much more to it. and that's what john and i were fighting for. >> thomas? >> and, jim, when you think about what you have achieved today, what does this mean in terms of the validation that you have now for your time with your husband, for the decision that you made to take on this charge? is that something that you can even express the validation that you feel today? >> right now, probably not. all i can say is it has validated that decision. you know from the start we knew it was the right decision the right thing to do. and the response from across the country from the moment we filed our case re-enforced that. and today finally, i can rest easy knowing that the highest court in the land says jim yes, the fight you and john started was the right fight and it was absolutely worth doing.

i -- if i could back in time know that john would die in three months i would still make the same decision even before this ruling came out today. >> it is so compassionate of you to take on this charge and share your story, your marriage with your husband, but then also championing this so that other families can have dignity and respect. do you know when you get back to ohio what's going to happen and how you will be able to complete that final task of being recognized on john's death certificate? >> well, the good news is the death certificate i currently is correct because john died after our first win in federal district court. and when the appeals court overruled that ruling as far as i'm aware, the state of ohio never amended his death certificate. so i do have one that is accurate.

but i might just go request a new one to make sure. >> better safe -- just be safe from this point forward. but, jim, we thank you for your patience and for your willingness to be with us today on the air and talk about your reaction to what this means for you. thank you very much. ari melber thank you, too, for all your reporting outside as it's been a rush and flurry of activity since 10:00 when we got the ruling handed down from the supreme court. and with that ruling today we are getting the word that the u.s. military will now allow for same-sex weddings in military chapels in all 50 states. want to bring in nbc's pentagon correspondent jim miklaszewski. this is a caveat for certain distinctions. >> first of all, it may surprise a lot of people that in this heated debate for nearly the past two years, over same-sex

marriage out there in the general public the u.s. military has permitted same-sex couples to conduct their wedding ceremonies in military chapels. and, in fact since september of 2013 -- in those states where it's considered legal now, as you said a moment ago, that same-sex marriages ceremonies will be permitted in military chapels in all 50 states. and it was back in september of 2013 when the u.s. military actually decided to provide benefits to these spouses of same-sex couples, health care benefits access to military facilities and benefits and the like, which was a huge step forward for the military and the pentagon. after all, it was only 2011 when the pentagon finally lifted don't ask, don't tell ended that prohibition against openly gay service members serving in the

military. so in some respect, the u.s. military which often is a leader in social change was ahead of the supreme court on this one. >> i know someone who has been very active in all of this is brenda sue fulton sue fulton who was married to her wife at the west point hosting its first marriage and they did this back in 2012. that was a big deal moving forward. we'll wait to see how this all plays out as expansively as we understand it to be. mik, thank you. >> and thomas there is still one more challenge for the pentagon. and that is transgenders. they are not allowed to serve in the military at this point. secretary of defense ash carter says he's opening considering the issue but it brings in all kinds of medical issues that the pentagon is not sure that they are ready to deal with at this point. but at least transgender, openly serving transgenders in the military, is on the agenda.

>> mik, thank you. he joins us now in new york and evan i know your work. you've been a distinct and constant voice working for this tirelessly over 32 years. what's your first reaction to this? >> overwhelming happiness. i'm so happy for the families and the couples. i'm happy for our country. i'm happy for my team. i just feel so lucky and proud and grateful that we live in a country where if we work hard we really can change things and make things better. and today is a big step forward for america and it's a huge moment for gay people to have gone in four or so decades from a desmiced minority to now being part of this american journey and part of the american family. i couldn't be happy. >> outstanding is a way to look at it. >> yes. >> because the first marriage case that was in the '90s in hawaii. it launched a more global movement. but do you think that the real

catalyst here was what gavin newsom did? and i remember correctly it was in 2004, right when he was the mayor of san francisco? >> yes. that certainly was a good moment that got a lot of people talking. but, no, if i had to pick a turning point i really wouldn't point to that although i certainly admire and appreciated then and now what gavin did in helping move the conversation forward. but that came after we had won this breakthrough ruling in marriage -- in massachusetts for the freedom to marry. it came after the hawaii case, that was the world's first ever trial in which we got our day in court and were able to show there is no good reason for the discrimination and really launched this ongoing global movement pendant a hawaii in turn stood on the shoulders of the pioneer plaintiffs and activists who right after stonewall were out there fighting for the freedom to marry and one of those cases reached the supreme court in 1972. that wrong ruling by the supreme court was overturned today explicitly by the supreme court.

this is four decades or more in the making with many many people playing a part in this extraordinary step forward for the country. >> evan we have the freedom to marry now. what's next for you? >> i haven't had a chance to think about what's next for me. i've been focus and getting to this moment. freedom to marry, our campaign will over the next several months close down because we will have achieved the goal we set out to win. and we'll do it in a smart and strategic way. and work with our movement colleagues for all the other work that still lies ahead. we really have to harness the power of this marriage conversation and victory to the work ahead. and we have to continue talking about who we are and love and family and connectedness in a way that it creates momentum for achieving the fernl civil right protections and the other measures we need. what i'm going to do personally, i haven't had the chance to think about yet. >> you deserve some time to celebrate, no matter what. >> thank you. >> straight allies and the entire lgbt community, they

stayed on the hard work of your shoulders. >> thank you. >> thanks so much. much more of our special coverage coming up right here on msnbc. >> this is a watershed day for our family. it is the same for all kentuckians and for all americans. it's been a long path for us in our 33 years. we know that people have been fighting this fight for decades. ♪ [music] ♪ defiance is in our bones. new citracal pearls. delicious berries and cream. soft, chewable, calcium plus vitamin d. only from citracal. ♪ ♪ one day a rider made a decision. the decision to ride on and save money. he decided to save money by switching his motorcycle insurance to geico. there's no shame in saving money. ride on, ride proud.

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welcome back everybody, to our coverage as we've been following what's taken place today at the supreme court as we've gotten the ruling 5-4 in the affirmative that marriage equality is the law of the law. josh is an attorney with a team successfully won a case, the state of virginia allowed same-sex couples the right to marry there. first, your reaction to what we're getting from the supreme court today. >> well, thomas, thank you. it's a privilege to be or your show and i'm proud as a member of the law firm to have had the

opportunity to work on both the proposition 8 trial and again in virginia. i think the decision is brilliantly worded and will help advance the rights of gays and lesbians beyond just marriage equality by confirming both their place in society and the need for them to be treated equally. >> josh, we're going to work on some of your mike issues and we're going to come back to you in a second. white house communications director jen socki join mess now. jen, it is great to see you. >> great to see you. >> as always. and we heard from the president during the 11:00 hour right before he had to leave to go on to charleston and we know the work that he has devoted to putting together the eulogy for the reverend clementa pinckney. but this has been a big win for the administration from the aca to now the supreme court ruling in the affirmative for marriage

equality. >> it certainly is. but it's really a big win for gay, lesbian bisexual transgender couples across the country. couples across the country can get married in any state. they can get licenses. we could not be more excited today. i have to tell you, thomas i was so struck this morning by the fact that there were so many young people 20-year-olds 25-year-olds, 30-year-olds who were out on the colonnade waiting for the president to deliver his remarks because this is really a movement and a change that has happened pretty quickly in this country but today really cements that for all of us. >> i think as the president talked about, you know equality being a bed rock principle for americans, but from your political point of view are you surprised as how swiftly the marriage equality movement has not only taken over people's hearts and minds but now shifted to be recognized as a constitutional right?

>> i am personally and it really reflects all the work that's been done by so many groups and so many leaders and so many brave activists out there. i worked for john kerry when he ran for president in 2004. and there were inch what ballot initiatives on the ballot in states across the country. it was an incredibly divisive issue just 11 years ago and look where we are today. that is really rapid change in this country. so, you know i think we're just celebrating here. not just for the president but really for the people across this country and how much it's going to impact couples who can now marry and now really be recognized for the love that they all have for each other. >> really is an amazing day that we've been witnessing here. jen psaki, great to see you. the president said that today we made our union a little more perfect with these scotus ruling and that love is love. i though that was part of his tweet he sent out before but talked about the fact that

during his time he has seen doma go away don't ask don't tell go away and now this affirmative ruling from the supreme court about marriage equality making this country not a patchwork but seamless coast to coast. president obama is en route to charlotte, south carolina. it's on this day which has been historic for many reasons but it's also going to be somber and historic in a different moment in time because he's on his way to charleston. he will be delivering the eulogy for the reverend clementa pinckney. that's happening at the td arena and we can see people who have amassed inside that arena. it's 5,000 people plus. i ask you to stay with msnbc as we cover his remarks and hear from the people of charleston. >> i know an icon is gone. i mean he was just a great person added to the community and the people as well. everybody loved him. and that's why the masses are here today, because everybody

just loved him.

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♪ >> we lost an amazing life. we lost a wonderful leader, a manager. we lost an amazing librarian. someone who had the capacity to connect to people. >> she's the best mom i ever could ever ask for and, honestly, it's going to be tough but i know we'll get through it as family. >> my dad was a loving father. he was a great inspirational leader. he cared deeply for his family his community, his faith, and he loved god. >> i have daughters, i would want them to marry someone like him. he was an excellent pastor. he was a wonderful public servant. he was compassionate while determined. he will be missed. >> charleston has been a great

example to the rest of the country, as well. we just really really appreciate how everyone has come together. and like people of all races, all religions, genders, or orientation orientations. >> the blood of the mother emanuel nine requires us to work until not only justice in this case but for those who are still living in the margin of life. >> good friday afternoon to you. i'm craig melvin live from charleston south carolina where more than 5,000 have gathered in the td arena behind me for the funeral service for state senator and rif rend clementa pinckney, the pat orstor of mother emanual church.

president obama of course will be delivering the eulogy here. the reverend was a close friend of the obama family. he was one of the president's early supporters back in 2008 here in south carolina. also in attendance this afternoon, vice president joe biden. his wife dr. jill biden. former secretary of state hillary clinton already inside. so is a bipartisan delegation of lawmakers of washington house speaker john boehner is traveling with the president aboard air force one, so is representative elijah cummings representative john lewis as well aboard air force one. all of them expected to make their way to this arena any moment now. all of them here of course remember the life of a man who has been described as a gentle giant, described as the moral compass of the south carolina senate and a pillar of the community. >> like any other great individual whose life has abruptly and tragically come to

an end, we all will miss the man that we would have become that sweet spirit in the senate. >> it is almost impossible not to imagine his presence in the hallways meeting room and offices of the building in columbia much less there at the state house in the senate chamber. the warmth of his smile, the depth of his caring spirit. >> someone should have told the young man he wanted to start a race war, but he came to the wrong place. >> hours ago south carolina state troopers carried the reverend pinckney's casket from mother emanuel to the arena here. it was nine days ago, nine days reverend pinckney hosting bible study in the basement of that

historic church when the 21-year-old gunman took his life and the lives of eight others as well. cynthia hurd depayne middleton, susie jackson, tywanza sanders, ethel lance, sharonda singleton and meyer kra thompson. the massacre may have been sparked by hate but it has united this community and love in an unbelievable way. it also sparked a nationwide dialogue about the state of race relations, about the confederate battle flag as well in the days that followed the massacre. we have seen an ineshl show of solidarity from sunday service at emanuel ame to thousands marching in unity, arm in arm across the city's main bridge. and in the state's capitol as well where hundreds stream into the state house to review reverend pinckney's body. emotional services were also held yesterday for reverend pinckney along with shahrona

singleton. melissa perry will be joining me throughout the afternoon here. we were promised at the beginning of service a worship service. they were turning td arena into a sanctuary. what has struck you so far about the service. >> it's tough. when you think about the intimacy that occurs in the space like mother emanuel, to take that and then have many thousands of people so emotional in a space like this but what we have already begun to hear is that for lack of a better word that catechism of the ame church, that repeating of who we are as a people and why we matter, and i think pushing back a little bit against some of the discourse around forriveness and saying, you should not be surprised that we are forgiving people, that is the nature of the faith. and of the god that we serve is what we've heard repeatedly from

the speakers so far. >> i want to come back to you in a bit. reverend pinckney started preaching at emanuel ame. he started preaching at this church when he was just a teenager. he was called to preach at 13. and started pastoring that church when he was 26. this morning a casket bearing his body carried out of that historic church just a few blocks away from here for his funeral. my colleague francis rivera has been at mother emanuel since early this morning. francis, tell us what it was like for those parishioners as they got to say their final good-bye to their beloved pastor. >> like so many times for church goers here members of the congregation, loved ones gathered and met. but this time it was different. it was to say good-bye to reverend pinckney for the very first time and they gathered here along the motorcade as the procession began here at emanuel ame before it proceeded to td arena. i can tell you what a powerful moment, the state troopers carried the cassette of rifeverend

pinckney into the hearse. everyone was gripped in silence. the media was here people pass big ing by to pay their respects. right now some people are trickling in. we saw some bigger crowds after the arena was filled to capacity. there were some people who had to stop by had to add to the memorial, drop off flower drop off notes, say a little prayer. even in that time we saw some impromptu prayer circles of groups of people coming in here breaking out in song breaking out in prayer overwhelmingly with more and more people adding to that and joining them as they did that. we really expected there to be more people during the funeral to come this way, but that crowd has since thinned out a little bit. you can see from the barricades behind me that half of this street here at calhoun has been blocked away in past days. the mar joyjority of the street has

opened up by the motorcade started here half of the church, half of the street i should say, has been blocked off. but i'm sure as more people come to pass by here, pay their respect, seeing the outpouring of love, the celebration of a life that reverend pinckney had. we'll see that here. especially with so many banners that are saying huge banners, covering facades, i'm sure you saw them too, up and down calhoun street here and blocks to come with these buildings. having he's messages of hope of love. one, in fact reading love if not us who, if not when one, holy city let this be let us be the example that love con conquers evil. the message that reverend pinckney would want the church to hear and see. the church the doors are closed. no one is inside. everybody is paying their respects at the arena. the funeral is under way. we understand the doors will be

opened once again this evening as there are other funerals as well tonight and throughout the weekend to say good-bye to those nine lives lost. craig? >> francis, we'll come back to you in a bit as well. thank you for that. just got word that president obama has landed here in charleston, air force one has touched down. so he should be here in roughly 20 minutes. a huge day for president obama. scratch that. a big week for president obama with word from the supreme court yesterday that obamacare as it's called will remain intact. word a few hours ago that same-sex marriage is the law of the land and now president obama showing up here to play that role that he has had unfortunately had to play far too many times, consoler in chief. >> it's interesting that you say that he's played it far too many times. this is now a different president. this is a president in the final two years of his time in office. this is a president who has made

clear through, i think, what we have seen in recent weeks, even in this week that he is prepared to speak. i think in a way there's more frank than we have have maybe seen before. i expect given the personal nature of this grief, given that he and the rest of the obama family knew and loved this man that we will certainly hear the politics, but i suspect we will also experience that kind of pathos that is the american story, the wins the big week for the president that happened at the same time that his friend's life wasn't lost was taken, brutally in his own church. >> we will spend some time with you, of course this afternoon. we will have much much more of our special coverage of the funeral of pastor pinckney live from charleston, south carolina. stay with us. this is msnbc. >> nothing but love. love love love. unconditional

unconditionally, he was just an awesome person. as i tell everyone, i don't want to speak in the past tense because i'm going the keep him in my heart.

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learned about these men that they've been able to elude 1,100 law enforcement officers over the welcome back to msnbc, i'm alex witt joining noug from mork new york was acontinue to watch the funeral service for rev end are pinckney. this is live from charleston, south carolina. president obama will deliver the eulogy and we will return you to craig melvin just ahead but first, a look at other big stories we're watching today. of course historic victory for gay rights today. the supreme court ruled that same-sex couples have a right to be married nationwide. president obama said americans should feel proud about the

landmark decision. >> but today should also give us hope on on the many issues with which we grapple, often painfully, real change is possible. shifts in hearts and minds is possible. >> joining me now from outside the supreme court is our chief legal correspondent ari melber who has been on there, those steps outside all day. it is a huge victory. can you try to put this into perspective for us, ari, both for the individuals it directly affects and for this country this. >> for the individuals what the supreme court said today by a vote of 5-4, alex is that people have the right to marry regardless of sexual orientation, they have the right for that to be recognized by any state. we're not going to do this by geography any more. that changed today. and, third, they have the right to be parents, that they can adopt and care for children. the court went so far to say not only is it a right but it is

better for american children to have parents who are in marriages be they same-sex or not, that are equality recognized by the state and not attach any quote, unquote, stigma to them. >> ari, will there be any court in the land be it local, county, state, that would be able to refute this from a legal perspective? >> legally, no. what happens now is this is the law of the land nationally. it takes about 25 days typically for the court to do a follow up mandate that has the technical act of ordering this. absent that states are still within basically a couple of weeks to figure out how they want to do it. and as with other decisions that advance civil right or equality we may see some states try to delay or drag their feet. but legally to the heart of your question, this is decided. it is law. it is national. it is done. >> and, all right, ari, thank you very much for that perspective. we will check in with you again throughout the afternoon. meantime joining me in studio

is my good friend thomas roberts who covered this brilliantly. exciting four hours. impressions, i want to hear what you think about all this. >> it was fascinating to be in the chair, to hear the fact that they came down with the decision, 5-4. i think a lot of people figured it would come that way if it was going to come down at all in the affirmative. i think if we look back over the context of the supreme court and a lot of people have been looking at this decision like we would look at loving versus virginia in 1967 that was unanimous for the supreme court thought we could be colorblind. as a country when it came to interracial marriage. now there is a majority of the court that thinks we can be sexuality blind when it comes to marriage and be afforded that right. but i think it's interesting, as you were talking to ari there about how this is going to come up to states 14 of which did not have marriage equality. how quickly they're going the move inside their borders to make this happen. this a.p. wire from south dakota

saying same-sex marriage ruling effective now, upped the counties to issue licenses. then we found out from mississippi that the attorney general there, jim hood says that same-sex marriages can take place immediately in the state because of a gay marriage court case that's being held up in mississippi. it's going to have to be decided in a federal appeals court in new orleans for them to move forward and to be able to allow that to happen. so as ari said it's going to take like 25 days when they issue that mandate, and then we see it be the law of the land. you i think the other thing that's interesting and the bigger conversation u.s. military bases, they permitted same-sex wedding ceremonies since 2013 in all 50 states. now they're saying that any military chaplain or clergy can refuse to perform a same-sex marriage if it is the line with their tenets of their faith. so here's where we're going get into this religious dialogue. so as a country, we've moved

forward on interracial marriage where we use the bible as country to fight against that. interfaith marriage, we have used the bible to fight against interfaith marriage. we've used the bible to fight against divorced couples. having the right one, to get divorced and, secondly, to bed remarried and not stigmatized by the fact that they were once married before. so will we move to that intersection of culture for people not viewing marriage equality as against the tenet of their faith as people have because we don't ever cover stories, this interracial couple, i'm not going to marry you. you're divorced so that's a sin so i'm not going to marry you. interfaith jewish person marrying a catholic. we don't cover those stories. >> because they seem archaic. >> they seem archaic. your grandkids' grandkids are going to look back on this time and all of our grandkids' grandkids are going to look back on time and think, yeah it's a

little bit archaic but as ari pointed out the great distinction is for one of the families. one of the youngest plaintiffs in the ogerefell case joe and rob thomas, little cooper is just 2 years old and he was adopted from ohio. ohio would not recognize his parents on the birth certificate. and they were like, hell no we both deserve to be on this birth certificate. >> absolutely. >> adopted that and he goes down in the books as making sure that young families are protected. and parents are protected. >> yeah. having all the legal rights afforded to them that any other family would have. >> yes. this is a big distinction that supreme court has given everybody and level the playing field. before it was a patchwork. just for my own personal example. patrick and i could be married in the state of new york but if we travel out of state to a place that doesn't recognize

that we are not afforded the same rights and benefits. and that's just not fair, you know, because i have to take out the trash every night, i have to pick up the dry-cleaning i do the same thing that regular married couples do. i should be recognized as such in other states. >> well, we have recognized you and patrick for a long time. it's been quite a fabulous couple. thank you for your insights thomas. >> thanks. everyone, we are following more breaking news and a series of deadly terror attacks overseas this morning starting with tunisia where a gunman opened fire and killed at least 37 people in a popular beach resort in the coastal city. the gunman is now dead. joining me now -- we know anything about this suspect who is killed? >> well, at this stage, alex we don't yet have confirmation of the identity or perhaps any affiliation or organization of affiliation. what seems to have come out earlier throughout the coarse of the day is that perhaps an attack of this magnitude, there were two gunmen involved.

the ministry of interior tunisia at the time alluded to the fact they had arrested a second gunman and confirmed that one had been killed. there were images of a man carrying an ak-47 who was shot dead. in terms of any ach fill yagss or in terms of any identity police and intelligence officials in tunisia are still working to determine whether or not he was acting within a larger network. tunisia itself has been the subject of several terrorist attacks including another significant one on tours back in earlier this year when they attacked a national museum. this one as you mentioned though targeting a very popular tourist hotel. most of those that have been killed include british nationals as well as other europeans, belgian, and perhaps even germans. news very troubling for this fragile democracy, the only one left from the arab spring alex. >> to say the least, very troubling. thank you for? up that update. from there to france where authorities raised the security level to the highest level after

a deadly attack on an american-owned factory. a car crash eded. that caused an explosion, it also wounded two people. now, a severed head was found hanging on a post at the factory's entrance and the victim's body was found elsewhere on the grounds. officials say the suspect is now in custody and has been identify but police are still trying to determine if there was accomplices. french president francois hollande there was this was no doubt a terrorist attack. from there back to the states and the breaking news in the manhunt for the two inmates escaped from a high security prison in upstate new york 21 days ago. state police say that new evidence shows the suspects richard matt and david sweat, they are moving toward canada and they belief they are moving at night. it's based on new evidence they believe has been left behind by the escapees. on the heels of that back to charleston and craig melvin

with more of the special coverage of the funeral of reverend pinckney. back to you. >> thank you. president obama, mrs. obama, just got off air force one a few moments ago, made their way down the stairs there. they landed at charleston air force base. we are told they are on the way to td arena behind me here on meeting street in downtown charleston. it is about a 15 20-minute drive. that of course is without a motorcade motorcade. law enforcement helicopter is up. we've seen some other folks here in front of the arena, appear to be getting the place ready for the president's arrival. of course president obama will be delivering the eulogy for pastor clementa pinckney. when that happens we will bring it to you live here on msnbc as we continue the special coverage. you tell what makes them so different? did you hear that sound? of course you didn't. you're not using ge software like the rig on the right. it's listening and learning how to prevent equipment failures, predict maintenance needs,

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coming here to mourn as well as to help us focus on the future and for the city the outpouring of love and unity, this hateful person came here he came from away wasn't from charleston bringing hate and he created love. he brought division he's created unity. he brought a symbol of the confederate battle flag it's coming down. >> that was charleston mayor joe riley there, america's longest serving mayor. the outpouring of love from this city has been one of the most striking aspects that's come out of this tragedy. thousands of people from all over the country right now are inside td arena to pay their respects not only to reverend pinckney but all nine victims. in addition, we should note in addition to the 5,000 people who are inside several thousand more are fathered at locations

around the city. they are watching this via closed circuit television. thousands were turned away from the arena because there's was simply no room inside. as mayor riley just mentioned, the confederate flag the confederate flag debate really was retriggered after this shooting inside the church last wednesday, especially south carolina's leading role in taking the flag down. earlier in the service one of the more fiery moments was from a state senator, joe malloy he said that pastor pinckney is the reason why that flag will now come down. >> claim all the change that you wanted to see and all the change that you wanted to do and all the things that we talked to because of you, we will see the confederate flag come down here in the state of south carolina. you're the one that did it. >> confederate battle flag has flown on the state house grounds

in south carolina since 1962. in the year 2000 it was a compromise of sorts to bring it from atop the state house dome to where it currently sits. but right now there is legislation pending in the state house to get the flag off the grounds by august. i want to bring in jody armor, law professor at the university of southern california. also earl hutchison, syndicated columnist and political analyst as well. let me start with you. one of the things that has struck me most in the wake of the church massacre is the speed with which lawmakers moved to get the flag off the state house grounds. is that the same for you? >> yeah this is a c-change in an attitude about the flag that we're seeing before our eyes. and it's not coincidenceal that it's happening at the same time as the aca, obamacare decision is coming down and the same-sex equality cases are coming down

because all of those cases are about who are we what flag represents us does the confederate flag represent as inclusive in us as the american flag? the american flag we are constantly fighting over what it stands for and making it more inclusive and what the debate really now is is are we going to make that the definition of us are we going to allow other definitions to compete? >> earl the confederate battle flag debate has literally been going on in this state my entire life. it's not just here in south carolina though. this week we saw of course the governor of alabama with little to no notice take the flag down. the governor of virginia says it doesn't belong on license plates there. a number of other states saying they're going to take a long hard look at monuments and the flag as well. online retailers, they're going to stop selling merchandise with the flag on it.

why did it take a tragedy like this to make this happen? >> well, i think it's really a combination of things. i think the tragedy, it was that by any standard i think it was a trigger. i think there were underlying things before that. we saw over the last year some movement on the part of some we're talking about some that are pushing for a lot of the issues education, health care criminal justice reform and by the way, not just democrats but also some republicans, too, that actually were beginning to kind of get it. beginning to understand that this is a time -- america's changing. the demographics are changing both racial sexual preference, and gender. and also age, too. we can't do business in the old way. i think some began to get that. unfortunately it always takes or it seems to take a great horrific tragedy as kind of a cold slap in the face. i'm just reminded too, of 1963 medger evers, the three civil

rights ss workers murdered dr. king, the riots in the '60s and the '90s. after every major cataclysmic event we had a c. change where people began to see and politicians and business leaders, it's time for some at least acknowledgement. we've got a serious problem. we've got to deal with it. i think we're see that now. >> juneauyou know what, you didn't mention there, earl, sandy hook elementary. earl you didn't mention sandy hook. that was a great tragedy. >> well, yeah. >> and nothing happened. >> well, actually -- that's true. and now that brings up something else. with sandy hook and not only that, no with we have a trial that's going on in denver as we know the shooter there. gun control. now, that's one of the areas, too, that i think is going to be the next big battleground. i mean we've gone through it once in congress some state

ledge lay choor sgislature legislatures. the gop, ultraconservatives have a hard nose position on that. now as a result of what happened in charleston i think it was so you know, earth shattering so cataclysmic to some we're now beginning to see even some conservatives say, well, maybe it is time to revisit and even look at maybe we need to again,checks or take a more balanced view of gun control. i think that's going to be the next area of great concern and i think a battleground, too, that will be revisited. >> earl, jody, thank you so much. do appreciate your time on this friday. you can see on the top right corner of your screen, hundreds of folks are lining calhoun street here in downtown charleston, awaiting president obama's motorcade to make his way to td arena behind me where some 5,000 folks have been inside. funeral service has been going on now for more than an hour and a half.

president obama set to deliver the eulogy when that happen of course, we will bring it to you live. up next though talk to a woman who reconnected with reverend sharonda singleton just two weeks before she was killed at mother emanuel. she got a voice mail message from her friend that she now says has a whole new meaning. we're going to play that for you after the break. ♪ [music] ♪ defiance is in our bones. new citracal pearls. delicious berries and cream. soft, chewable, calcium plus vitamin d.

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we are told he is making his way inside the arena right now. reverend pinckney pastor of mother emanuel church. the reverend was also a close friend of the obamas. it was reverend pinckney who was one of the early supporters of president obama back in 2008 here in south carolina ahead of what would be a very contentious primary within senator hillary clinton. thousands of mourners have gathered inside the arena on the college of charleston campus. vice president joe biden and his wife dr. jill biden will be attending along with secretary of state, presidential candidate, hillary clinton who is already inside. along with the lion's share of south carolina's delegation u.s. senator are there along with the bumming of the south carolina general assembly as well. president obama and his wife are arriving just a few moments ago. that bipartisan delegation of lawmakers that traveled with him from washington we're told includes house speaker john boehner who traveled aboard air

force one, congressman john lewis, congressman elijah cummings as well. the last time president obama was in the palmetto state, march 6th, march 6th he was here at benedict college for an event. reverend pinckney's colleagues they've described him as the moral compass of the senate. i had the opportunity to interview him a number of times when i worked in local television here. and that booming melodic voice, very soothing. never heard the man raise his voice. you would have also been hard pressed to find a politician in the general assembly in this state who was more highly regarded by more people on both sides of the aisle. it has been nine days now, nine days since he and eight others were gunned down at the end of bible study at the historic emanuel ame church. the ore victim cynthia hurd depayne middleton, susie jackson, a want sa sanders,

sharonda singleton, ethel lance, and myra thompson. we know or we have been told at least the president's speech will not be everoverly political he won't be using a teleprompter but he is going to talk about two topic, race and guns. >> yeah. and those two things are deeply and profoundly connected. i mean it's interesting we're talking about the flag so much and obviously that has become a critical part of this discourse, is that confederate battle flag. but also every time i hear you say, every time i hear any of us say, you know on calhoun street on calhoun street. calhoun is the gra it successionist and calhoun and others who served in that u.s. senate but then became part of an american confederacy, a movement away a succession away from our nation. the recognition that the flag came down is not enough but we

have a deeply embedded set of questions. the questions include when we talk about guns and right to self-defense, that that right to self-defense is always been a racialized one in this country, that even now when we look at the deaths of unarmed black men and women in this country, there are often in circumstances that others who are part of an open carry pro-second amendment movement. you know do similar actions. walk through walmart, for example, with a gun, but are not subject to the same kind of violence. we know that race and guns are profoundly connected, deeply embedded in this place, in the american south. >> two weeks before the tragic events at mother emanuel, she received a voice mail from her old college friend from a fellow minister as well, sharonda coleman singleton. the voice mail just aired by people now shows a woman of hope, a woman of faith, just as her friends and family remember her today. take a listen. >> hello, reverend this is

sharonda. i haven't seen you in some time but i really wanted to hear your voice and tell you all things are well. all things are well. all things are good. all things are good. i do want you to know that all things are good. >> reverend joins me live on the telephone now. reverend, first of all, sorry for your loss. the touching words in the voice mail that we just played is that just the type of person that sharonda was? >> it is. it reflects her spirit. it reflects everything the essence of who she is and who she was. and i -- i see it has so prophetic because it came to me on june 3rd and she was calling just out of the blue no particular reason other than to say i care about you and i want you to know that all things will be well.

i had no idea that none of us knew this was going to occur, the massacre. but i will told this voice mail forever. >> you know you get this touching voice mail from a friend you haven't really connected with as you said there, connected with in a very long time. two weeks later you get the news about what happened at the church. what went through your mind when you heard about it? >> well, when i heard about it i really did, i think i became a first hysterical because i could not believe that -- i actually talked to her three days after the voice mail. and we just talked as we talked about the bible, we talked about prayer, and then we caught up on life. and she was telling me about her plans for the future. and i asked her why she -- i said, where did the voice mail come from sharonda, she said i just wanted you to know that all things will be well. no matter what happens in life all things shall be well.

i agreed with her and we continued the conversation. and we got off the phone. so when i heard the news, i was devastated absolutely devastated. her message has given me hope. it is -- it is definitely a healing message for the whole community, for the country, actually. it's as if she's still speaking to us. >> reverend goodjoin, what have you been telling your congregation this week as they like so many in this country, have been looking for hope and understanding in the wake of what's happened here? >> well, i've been telling my congregation that we must cling to hope. this is a heinous act that has occurred. and we've been inspired by the people in charleston who have demonstrated their love for god and the power of the word in their lives, that forgiveness can go forth. and even though what i'm most

struck by and what i tell my congregation is the reality of pain and reality of anger and the reality of hurt is not going to escape us but then there is this reality of this spiritual reality of a forgiveness that is covered by grace. you see, we don't forgive arbitrarily, but the grace is in the forgiveness. and so in that grace, we belief that certain things must occur, that there must be a new agenda set forth, that there must be a new accountability and things like this flag and this state and this country must be addressed in a more profound and powerful way. so ultimately we've got to hold each other up and we've also got to hold each other in a new accountability for this hope will continue to rise. >> reverend goodjoin thank you. thank you so much for your time. >> thank you so much.

again, president obama's presidential motorcade just rolled by a few moments ago. he has arrived at the arena. he will be delivering the eulogy for pastor pinckney a few moments from now. when that happens, we will of course bring it to you life here. stay with msnbc as we continue our special cover ranage live from charleston, south carolina.

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morning. crystal is about a block from where i'm standing. what's the mood where you are, crystal? >> that's right, craig. the mood here all day has really been -- you'd have to describe it as celebratory, people honoring the life of the reverend and the victims of this horrific shooting. the crowd has thinned out a little bit. there is a little disappointment among these folks. they were hoping they would see president obama's motorcade coming by. we probably had a couple hundred people lining the streets hoping to catch a glimpse. he took another route so they're a little disappointed by, that but overall the mood has been incredible joyous people telling me the fact that the president chose to come here and deliver this eulogy means a lot to them, the fact there's this bipartisan show of support, also very meaningful. as you referenced i spoke with a number of folks waiting in that long line for hours earlier including one young lady. she's a student at college of charleston. here's what she had to say. >> the mood is very pleasant.

it's actually surprising. we've met people from georgia and missouri and, you know, a lot of people from out of state who are coming here. it's quite amazing to see, again, the sense of unity and people coming to show their supportsup support for us. quite amazing. >> reporter: that was one of the things i've noted here. there were people from all over the state, the region even all over the country as far away as places like florida and around this entire portion of the country. people wanting to come and show their solidarity with charleston and be part of this historic moment and maybe catch a glimpse of president obama. >> a number of four overflow locations as well four set up by the city of charleston

-paying that the arena would reach capacity early on and it did. the arena seats more than 5200 we're told. up next more from charleston, more on the legacy of reverend pinckney. also local residents reflecting on the support the church has received from around the country. >> it is good to see the amount of support and people just coming together from all over. people from out of town came here to show their love to the victims and the church. i adopted him. when my back pain flared up, we both felt it. i tried tylenol but it was 6 pills a day. with aleve it's just two pills, all day. now i'm back! aleve. all day strong.

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this speech is especially difficult. he's come to the end of this big week. at the same time the last time you and i were outside and it was this hot, we were in ferguson a tragedy that torn a community apart. president obama set to deliver the eulogy. you are looking at some of reverend pinckney's friends remembering him. after that, there will be some singing, some reading of scripture and then we'll hear from the president of the united states. our special coverage of the

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i turned around the other day to pick up the phone and call him and realized that he was not here. but i looked at myself and i told myself that i was not going to allow the pain of yesterday to steal my joy for today. >> mother lost nine of her children yet mother forgives. she must forgive because with us is god, emmanuel emmanuel, emmanuel. >> they are being referred to as

the emmanuel nine. i'm craig melvin live in charleston, south carolina as we continue our coverage of the funeral service for state senator and reverend clementa pinckney, the pastor of mother emanuel church in alabama. president obama set to deliver the eulogy any moment now. when it happens, we'll bring it to you. more than 5,000 have gathered inside tv td arena on the college campus. among those in attendance joe biden, his wife dr. jill biden is there, so is former secretary of state and presidential candidate hillary clinton along with a bipartisan group of lawmakers, lawmakers that traveled with the president from washington including as you see there house speaker john boehner, congressman john lewis is there, so is congressman elijah cummings all of them inside the arena. we just got our hands on a program from inside the funeral service, and i think we can show it here.

i think we can show a snippet of the program here. inside the program, so much has been made of the fact that reverend pinckney of course a lawmaker, a pastor he was also a husband and a father of two young girls, one of which was inside the church last wednesday as the shots rang out. we had not heard from his wife jennifer but she has a letter that she's written inside the program. i'm just going to read a snippet of it. this is from reverend pinckney's wife. "i feel robbed, cheated, and cut short. i feel badly that our girls will never have their father to watch them grow but i am thankful for one consolation, that your life was not in vain. you taulgtght us through your example that we must trust in god through all things. today, tomorrow demand the days to come we will believe god will make a way for us. we believe god used you to be a beacon of hope to transform the family, the church, the state, and our world. we believe that your life mattered.

it mattered to us and it will forever change the culture and mind seth of the world." that from jennifer pinckney, the wife of the late senator. now the senior pastor and founder of grace heritage ministries in south carolina joins us. pastor president obama set to deliver the eulogy any moment here. what do you want to hear from the president of the united states? >> well, i hope he remembers that these are just private citizens who were caught in the path of evil at an inopportune time. i appreciate all that's been said about the changes in politics and the shift in views, but i also want them to remember these are parents and children and brothers and sisters. i preached a sermon yesterday at a good friend of mine's

sharonda singleton, and i want the world to know these are people just just like they are and i hope they don't ever forget that. >> craig, i so appreciate you reading that part from the first lady because -- i'm sorry, the first lady of the church let me clarify to people, because i do feel in so many ways like that has been our conversation about what this means to us as a country to miss that this father was murdered and taken away from his two young daughters. >> exactly. if i could take it a step further, we had some good role models in that group. i said this before on wednesday night you find some very good people in church. >> the most devoted in church. >> they're the one who is really want to grow spiritually. they're the ones trying to live a life that pleases god. and so you have a young man who had gotten his life on track. he was a teenager when i was at that church and had just gotten his bachelor's degree was really getting his life together and it was -- it's just sad.

>> he stood -- i mean i also want people to forgive, those were elderly women who were murdered in that church and he stood in front and said you will not. >> we know how that turned out. but you're right. suzy jackson was one of the cornerstones of the senior citizens ministry at that church, the strongest ministry at mother emmanuel. cynthia hurd was a librarian who made it a point that the kids in the summertime would have activities during the day. and i can say this now. some of the children there had nowhere to go. she made it a point to have things for them. >> i don't know if you saw earlier when we were sitting to the side a mother and her son came up on their bike and sat here for a while. she said to us, she was our librarian. now i know the context in which

she said that. >> she made it a point to know those children personally. they felt safe there and she made it a haven during the hot summer months so they didn't have to be outdoors. they could be inside. not only did they have books they had activities that were put in place for them. every one of those people has a story to tell and i think it's a story worth telling and i hope those stories don't get lost. >> a lot of folk who is may not be familiar with the history of that fine church probably don't know it was burned to the ground once before. it has been attacked lit raerally and figuratively before. how does mother emanuel bounce back? >> it will take some time. the crowds will go away next week and that's when the real work begins because healing takes work. if they're deliberate and determined and keep their priorities straight, they eel come out of it okay but it's going to take a while. there's no mistakes about that.

>> can i ask you a little more about that idea of the cameras going away? this is a challenge about being part of media is that even as you're in a moment like this you recognize yourself changing the moment walking here past so many people who were mourning who were grieving, who when there's cameras and there is -- it's hard to maintain the sense of intimacy. and so i guess i'm wondering on the one hand the president being here seems right, but then it also teams tough. how will the families mourn when the cameras are gone? i think that's the time when families really show their value. family and friend people who are important to us people who care about us genuinely. they're going to show their merit and their strength. i hope they're thinking ahead already because i suspect in about three days it's going to get real quiet in charleston and that's when the work really begins.

>> you've been in the state a long time. one of the things that surprised me in the week of the shooting the speed with which we saw some folks -- again, people not familiar with south carolina politics probably don't appreciate how rare it is to see some of the people we saw stand together standing together to call for the removal of the confederate flag from statehouse grounds. how striking was that to you? >> i think we got to see evil up close and personal. that made a big difference. i also believe that because it was clementa pinckney -- i'm hearing now, and i didn't know this before i'm hearing now he was the most liked senator. it made waves up through the legislature and through the common people here. >> this is that moment we learn in the black church what you learn from evil fwod can be for good.

there was still an act of evil here. this is not a shooter who is gone. sh this shooter will still at this point have to face a trial, and that trial will reopen wounds for these families and for this community. >> we're praying that he florida keys guilty. >> no trial. >> no trial because that's just going to open up wounds that haven't healed yet. if he pleads guilty he'll get life without parole and we can let it go and move on. but if there's another weeks and months of a trial, it's just going to be that much longer to get those wounds finally healed. >> i want to ask you a question. if you don't want to answer you don't have to answer. you're a man of good. should he get the death penalty if there is a trial, if he doesn't plead guilty? >> i personally don't believe in the death penalty. i would definitely understand if he did.

if i went on raw emotion, i would say sure. but i walk by faith and not by sight. one of the wonderful things about christianity is we believe in redemption regardless of who it is. for him to accept forgiveness and get his life together spir spiritually, that's up to him. but i wouldn't advocate for the death penalty. i just can't do that. >> it's a brave answer and we've heard a lot from people about this idea of forgiveness, but i'm not sure we've been clear enough about how much forgiveness it takes. when we use that language of love, it sounds soft it sounds emotional, romantic but that is not what we are talking about here. >> no. and we think about the real heros in history. we're talking about people like martin luther king, who wrote a book entitled "strength of love." we're talking about dedrick bonnhofr who called it "costly

grace," talking about people who understood that even their enemy enemy -- they're still god's children. we don't throw them away. we pray for them we hope restore them we hope they will all repent. if those looichs are turned around it's a much greater witness of the faith. >> we are listening to the choir sing right now. again, president obama set to speak in just a few moments from now. you talked about forgiveness and love. senator graham and governor hailey said earlier this week to me that the turning point for them was watching the family members, watching the family members of the victims stand before the judge and look at the shooter not 36 hours after he had shot them dead after bible study, and say to his face i forgive you. i forgive you. i think far lot of folks watching at home it was unfathomable. the young man who lost his

mother standing with his siblings. >> you had two things. i've always said that because of senator pinckney and because the people said i forgive you in the courtroom, that literally pulled the plug on the potential violence going forward. a lot of people don't understand that. had they gone in that courtroom with venom and vengeance on their mind, it would have stirred up the masses, and we would probably be covering a riot right now. but they're the ones who pulled the plug on the potential violence that could have happened in this city. >> let me just say this because in the context of loss i also don't want to be in a place where we are managing people's emotions in the sense of saying what is right and wrong to feel in this moment. i don't want to take away the right -- not the right but to feel angry, to feel like jennifer wrote there she did, cut short. >> by all means. >> and that we have a right particularly as black people in this country -- so many people

want to feel better wash themselves, save themselves in the blood of these nine people that nies families have a right to be angry if not vengeful but angry and hurt. >> i think they were angry. i think you heard the mother say, you know, her son was a hero. and she meant that. she has a right to be angry and should be angry. but remember faith is not a feeling. faith is a decision. that was mother teresa who said that. so that's what these people understood. they have to put their faith out front and use that as the mantel to show who they are and to show whose they are. >> we are waiting for president obama to start the eulogy here. we just heard from a group called the low country voices. they are widely popular in this part of south carolina. >> as we're waiting for president obama to give eulogy

i've been reflecting a lot on the eulogy of the four little girls in birmingham alabama, just over 50 years ago given of course by the reverend dr. martin luther king. it was a moment for him when he said we have to ask not only about who did the killing, who did the shooting who did the murder but also what gave rise what culture, what set of hate gave rise to the murderer and asked all of us in this moment -- because what we want to do is we all want to see ourselves as aligned with the victims, and we don't want to understand sometimes our connection, our alignment with the evil that produces the victims themselves. and so it was a reminder to me and it will be interesting to see what president obama says in this moment whether he reflects in any ways that critical assess thamt dr. assessment that dr. king gave us that we are standing in all these positions at the same time. >> our sources say the president was putting the finishing touches on his speech as he was

landing here. if he stays true to form some of the speech will be prepared remarks and some of it will be just president obama going from the gut, some of which we saw literally just a few hours ago as he stood in the rose garden in response to that landmark supreme court decision that came down this morning. a number of folks have been reflecting on what a week it has been in this country. we've gone from the confederate flag flying high with no one really talking about it a week and a half, two weeks ago to this week the confederate battle flag seems to be on its last legs in south carolina and in other states as well. the supreme court decision this morning, yesterday's decision that seems to make obamacare the law of the land for the foreseeable future and now again president obama once again getting ready to play the role of consoler in chief. this is a funeral we can tell you that started at 11:00 a.m. that may seem like a long time

to you but i've been in the baptist church a long time and attended in funerals. that's about average. >> they have long meetings all the time. i've seen them start at 9:00 a.m. and get out at 9:00 p.m. it's not unusual. they'll sit all day long. >> and all though these services began at 11:00 a.m. as you know, of course people were lined along the streets in the heat starting at about 6:00 in the morning. a level of commitment to bearing witness, to being in this space, in this moment. remember, it's a workday. it's a friday. >> and it's about a hundred degrees too. this is not an autumn day. >> that's right. and people found time to be here. the last time i was in south carolina and saw lines like that was around voting. and that same idea that there are moments when we must come together as a people yes, in grief, but also in making changes, and here we are.

>> stick around for me guys. i want to bring in msnbc's fran ris rivera who's been standing by for us outside mother emanuel ame church in charleston just to give you some perspective here. that's roughly two block from where we are right now. frances, what's the scene there? >> you were talking act people who waited in line from the early dawn hour and we got here on site to go into the td arenaarena, but now we're talking act this extreme heat and still people are coming and paying their respects for their moment of reflection, for their moment of prayer in front of mother emanuel church. a lot of people coming for the first time from out of state, from somewhere close, but also others coming repeatedly feeling like this is their chance to again reflect on what happened with that forgiveness, with that love the theme that we've seen so much especially here at this scene of hate and tragedy and the evil nine days ago to now a place of love. as you can see many people are stop big for that prayer to drop

off notes, to drop off flowers, and even groups of people with their impromptu prayer services breaking out in song at some points here. so a steady stream of people still coming by. important to note here as you can see behind me in this church that reverend pinckney is still listed as the pastor here a place where he became pastor in 2010. we know he started very young preaching when he was 13 became a pastor at the age of 18 then grew with the community here grew with the church as a pilar. so many people looked to him and they did that one last time early this morning, even before this funeral began when the funeral procession gathered here in front of mother emanuel with many of churchgoer many of the loved one, family and friends gathering in this area in this church for one last time with the reverend pinckney before that funeral procession just turned around the block to the td arena where that funeral is going on now. again, he's listed here still as

the pastor. the church is closed. we know it opened on wednesday for bible study once again in the very place where that shooting took place. and we understand that the only way you could tell that that horrific took place were those areas where there were bullet holes had been covered up and many people saying that their bible is there. back to you as president obama is walking up to the stage, craig. >> frances, thank you so much there. president obama as you can see making his way inside the arena. first lady michelle obama with him. so is vice president joe biden and his wife dr. jill biden. and president obama of course no stranger to services like these, joins in immediately. clapping and singing. this is the morris brown ame

church choir sing big the way. you can correct me if i'm wrong but i believe we're hearing "it is well." i believe that's the song. again, a familiar song for those of us who grew up going to church for hours on end on sunday. president obama in the front row. we'll hear from him in just a second. but let's talk for a moment about the man that they are going to be laying to rest today, reverend clementa pinckney. 41 years old. he did everything early, called to preach at 13 had a church before he was 20. when he was elected to the house of representatives at 23 he was the youngest person at that time ever elected to the lower chamber in south carolina. now he's dead at 41 also too early. your friend the pastor how will you remember him, reverend singleton? >> i'll remember him as someone who was serious about what he did. people talk about that booming

voice. that booming voice was always serious about what it said. and you could count on on keeping his word. he was a leader at heart even before heed that the experience. he's dead at 41 and has two decades of service, you know. it's amazing, a phenomenal life to say the least. we appreciate his legacy. >> we come now, reverend dr. charles watson will come and line the hymn of comfort followed by the invocation. . >> this is the presiding elder here. he'll offer so words and shortly

we'll hear from the president. >> -- given instead by reverend joseph pastel of the lancaster district. >> the hymn of comfort. it is well. a hymnnologist when peace like a river attend my way, when sours like sea bellows role whatever my lot has taught me to say, it is well with my soul. though satan should buffet, though trials should come let this blessed assurance control. has shed his own blood for my soul. it is well with my soul. it is well. it is well.

i'd ask all of the family to please stand to your feet as we sing this great song of the church. "it is well." ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪ it is well with my soul with my soul ♪ ♪ it is well it is well with my soul ♪

♪ my sin oh the bliss of this glorious thought ♪ ♪ my sinnot in part but the whole is nailed to the cross ♪ ♪ and i bear it no more praise the lord praise the lord ♪ ♪ o my soul ♪ ♪ it is well it is well with my soul ♪ ♪ with my soul it is well it is well ♪ ♪ with my soul ♪

♪ and lord haste the day when the faith shall be sight ♪ ♪ the clouds be rolled back as a scroll the trump shall resound and the lord shall descend ♪ ♪ even so it is well with my soul ♪ ♪ it is well it is well with my soul ♪

♪ with my soul it is well it is well with my soul ♪ ♪ it is well it is well with my soul with my soul ♪ ♪ it is well it is well with my soul ♪ ♪

♪ >> let me invite all of our pastors across this faith community to pray with us and with this family. god of our year god of our

silent tears, thou who has brought us this far on faith, thou who has by the night led us into the light, keep us forever in thy path we pray lest our feet stray from the places our god where we met thee. to the great, grand, and supreme architect of the universe to the one and only true god, the eternal father and his son, jesus christ, and in the holy ghost we pray. we gathered this day symbolic of being body bent before the

throne of grace. this is this day that we bow our hearts beneath our knees and our knees in some lonesome valley. we've gathered for this home-going celebration like an empty pitcher to a full fountain. no merits of our own, our lord open up a window of heaven poor out thy blessings upon this awaiting congregation. lean not far over the battlements of glory and hear our sincere prayers. lord have mercy upon our souls. with the forgiveness of our sins, bless our gathering on this day. ride by this morning mount upon your milky white horse and in your ride ride to save us from our sins and to create within us

a clean heart. o lord bless our president, the president of these united states of america, president barack and first lady. pin his ears to the wisdom post. continue to make his words as sledgehammers of truth. put his eyes to the telescope of eternity, and let him look upon the paper walls of time. terp turpentine his imagination. put perpetual motion in his arms. fill him full of dynamite of power. anoint him all over with the oil of salvation. and let his tongue be like fire. bless our bishop and supervisor norris and all the bishops of our zion and the visiting bishop

bishops. bless our congress our senate our governor, our mayor, our elected officials and all clergy across the ecumenical community and their spouses. and this bereaved family and the entire family of nine family. when we have been called everything but a child of god, when we are done traveling up the rough side of the mountain, may mary's baby jesus, stand by us. when we have started down the steep and slippery steps of death, when the old world begins to knock beneath our feet, lower us to the dusty glove save peace to wait for that great getting-up morning. meet us, jesus, that our souls would rest in peace.

hallelujah. amen, amen, amen. snind ♪

♪

♪

♪ >> our ole testament scripture comes from the 40th chapter of isaiah beginning at verse 18. to whom then will you liken god

or what likeness compare with him? and idol? a goldsmith laying over with layers of gold caskets for silver chains? as a gift one chooses marberry wood wood that would not rot then seek out a skilled adhesion to set up an image that will not topple. have you not known? have you not heard? has it not been told you from the beginning? have you not understood from the foundation of the earth it is he who sets above the circle of the earth and its inhabitants are like grasshopper who is stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spread them like a tent to live in, who brings princes to not and made the rulers of the earth nothing. scarcely are there planets scarcely sewn, scarcely has this taken root in the earth when he

blows upon them and they wither and the tempest carry them off like stubble. to whom then will you compare me? who is my equal, says the holy one? lift up your eyes on the high and see. who created thee? he who brings out the host and numbers them calling them all by name because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing. why do you say, o jacob, and speak o israel? my way is hid frn the lord and my right is disregarded by my god. have you not known? have you not heard? the lord is the everlasting god. the creator of the ends of the earth. he does not fade or grow weary. his understanding is unsearchable. his powers give to the fit and strengthen the powerless. even youthful fit and be weary

and the young will fall xast exhausted, but those who wait for the lord shall renew their strength. they shall mount up on wings like eagles. they shall run and not be weary. they shall walk and not faint. the word of god. [ applause ]. >> the first letter the 15th chapter, verse 50. now this i say, brethren that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of god, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. behold i tell you a mystery. we shall not all sleep and we shall all be changed. in a moment in the twinkling of

an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible. we shall be changed for this corrupt must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality. so when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the same that is writ in death is swallowed up in victory. o death, where is your sting? o grave, where is your victory? the sting of death is sin and the strength of the sin is the law. thanks be to god. >> thanks be to god. >> who gives us the victory through our lord jesus christ? therefore my beloved brethren be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of lord.

knowing that your labor is not in vain for the work of the lord. the word of god for the people of god. >> our gospel reading from john the third chapter beginning with the 16th verse. for god so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that who so ever believed in him shall not perish but have eternal life for god did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him. whoever believetn him is not condemned but who does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the god and his one and only son. this is the verdict. light has come into the world. but men love darkness instead of light because that these were evil, but everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear

that a hi deeds will be exposed. but whoever lives by the truth comes into the light so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through jesus the christ. amen. >> amen. >> and the people of god shall say amen. >> amen. >> at this time it's my opportunity to present to this bereaved family and this entire gathering the presiding of the 7th episcopal district of the african episcopal church the chief pastor, the reverend richard franklin norris. except for the family we will ask and the president, all others please rise and receive him. [ applause ]. >> thank you.

thank you. to all of the established protocol of this day, stretching across every segment of this nation and of our government i rise on behalf of the 7th episcopal district of the african methodist episcopal church to express my thanks and appreciation to each of you for your support, your encouragement, and your undergirding of the family during this time of sorrow and loss. we come as those not of no hope but reassured that nothing separates us from the love of god, and therefore we press on to do those things which are acceptable in the sight of god.

now even a presiding bishop has sense enough to know not to block the way when a president is waiting to speak. i ask you to give me just about 40 seconds to say to you how grateful we are to each of you for what you have done and for what you continue to do. seeing that we are encompassed by so great a cloud of witnesses, i say to us let us run on run on and see what the end will be. for i am persuaded that god will bring everything into fruition and god will bless our going out and our coming in. i stand to say that the nine who lost their lives at bible study. i'm calling upon the board of

trustees of allen university to raise a memorial on the campus of that institution in memory of the nine who lost their lives. i am persuaded that coming generations who will study on the campus of allen will be reminded of the importance of what happened during this period of time. i close by saying to you that we are convinced that south carolina rose to its greatest height during the last week.

>> there is no period in the history of this state that will excel the love and togetherness that exemplified itself as a result of the dastardly act that was perpetrated a few days ago. but i say that i can tell the world about this. i can tell the nation that i'm blessed. tell them that the comforter has come and brought joy to our soul. [ applause ] i am told that it

is my responsibility to say that the president of the united states of america, the honorable barack obama, will come at this time. [ applause ] ♪

[ cheers and applause ] . >> giving all praise and honor to god. the bible calls us to hope. to persevere. and have faith in things not seen. they were still living by faith when they died, scripture tells us.

they did not receive the things promised. they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. we are here today to remember a man of god who lived by faith. a man who believed in things not seen. a man who believed there were better days ahead off in the distance. a man of service who persevered knowing full well he would not receive all those things he was promised because he believed his efforts would deliver a better life with those who follow. to jennifer, his beloved wife

to illeana and malana his beautiful, wonderful daughters, to the mother emanuel family and the people of charleston and the people of south carolina i cannot claim to have the good fortune to know reverend pinckney well but i did have the pleasure of knowing him and meeting him here in south carolina. back when we were both a little bit younger. back when i didn't have visible gray hair. the first thing i noticed was his graciousness his smile, his reassuring baritone his

deceptive sense of humor, all qualities that helped him wear so effortlessly a heavy burden of expectation. friends of his remarked this week that when clementa pinckney entered a room it was like the future arrived., that even from a young age folks knew he was special. anointed. he was the progeny of a long line of the faithful, a family of preacher who is spread god's word, a family of protesters who so changed to expand voting rights and desegregate the south. c l em heard their instruction and did not forsake their teaching. he was in the pulpit by 14

pastor by 18 public servant by 23. he did not exhibit any of the cockiness of youth nor youth's insecurities. instead he set an example worthy of his position wise beyond hi years, in his speech, in his conduct, in his love faith, and purity. as a senator, he represented a sprawling swath of low country, a place that has long been one of the most neglected in america, a place still racked by poverty and inadequate schools, a place where children can still go hungry and the sick can go without treatment, a place that

needed somebody like clem. [ applause ] his position in the minority party meant the odds of winning more resources for his constituents were often long his calls for greater equity were too often unheeded the votes he cast were sometimes lonely. but he never gave up. he stayed true to his convictions. he would not grow discouraged. after a full day at the capitol, he'd climb into his car and head to the church to draw sustenance from his family, from his ministry

ministry, from the community that loved and needed him. there he would fortify his faith and imagine what might be. reverend pinckney embodied a politics that was neither mean nor small. he conducted himself quietly and kindly and diligently. he encouraged progress not by pushing his ideas alone but by seeking out your ideas, partnering with you to make things happen. he was full of empathy and fellow feeling, able to walk in somebody else's shoes and see through their eyes. no wonder one of his senate colleagues remembered senator pinckney as the most gentle of the 46 of us the best of the 46

of us. clem was often asked why he chose to be a pastor and a public servant. but the person who asked probably didn't know the history of the ame church. [ applause ] as our brothers and sisters in the ame church know we don't make those distinctions. our calling, clem once said is not just within the walls of the congregation but the life and community in which our congregation resides. [ applause ] he embodied the idea that our christian faith

demands deeds and not just words. that the sweet hour of prayer actually lasts the whole week long. that the to put our faith in action is more than just individual salvation, it's about our collective salvation. that to feed the hungry and clothe the naked and house the homeless is not just a call for isolated charity but the imperative of a just society. what a good man. sometimes i think that's the best thing to hope for when you're eulogized. after all the words and

recitations and resumes are read, to just say somebody was good man. [ applause ] you don't have to be of high station to be a good man. preacher by 13 pastor by 18 public servant by 23. what a life clementa pinckney lived. what an example he set. what a model for his faith. and then to lose him at 41 slain in his sanctuary with eight wonderful members of his

flock, each at different stages of life but bound together by a common commitment to god. cynthia hurd susie jackson, ethel lance, depayne middleton-doctor tywanza sanders, daniel l. simmons, sharonda coleman-singleton, myra thompson. good people. decent people. god-fearing people. [ applause ] people so full of life and so full of kind nessness,

people who ran the race who persevered, people of great faith. to the families of the fallen, the nation shares in your grief. our pain cuts that much deeper because it happened in a church. the church is and always has been the center of african-american life. [ applause ] a place to call our own in a too often hostile world. a sanctuary from so many hardships. over the course of centuries, black churches served as hush harbors where slaves could

worship in safety.praise houses where their freed descendants could gather and shout hallelujah. rest stops for the weary along the underround railroad. bunkers for the foot soldiers of the civil rights movement. they have been and continue to be community centers where we organize for jobs and justice, places of scholarship and network, places where children are loved and fed and kept out of harm's way and told that they are beautiful and smart and taught that they matter. that's what happens in church. that's what the black church

means. our beating heart, the place where our dignity as a people is inviolate. and there's no better example of this tradition than mother emanuel. a church -- [ applause ] a church built by blacks seeking liberty, burned to the ground because its founder sought to end slavery, only to rise up again a phoenix from these ashes. when there were laws banning all black church gotterers, services happened here anyway in defiance of unjust laws. when there was a righteous movement to dismantle jim crow dr. martin luther king jr.

preached from his pulpit and marches began from its steps. a sacred place this church. not just for blacks not just for christians but for every american who cares about the steady expansion of human rights and human dignity in this country, a foundation sewn for liberty and justice for all. that's what the church meant. [ applause ]

we do not know whether the killer of reverend pinckney and eight others knew all of this history, but he surely sensed the meaning of his violent act. it was an act that drew on a long history of bombs and arson and shots fired at churches. not random but as a means of control, a way to terrorize and oppress. an act that he imagined would incite fear. and recrimination. violence and suspicion. an act that he presumed would

deepen divisions that trace back to our nation's original sin. oh, but god works in mysterious ways. [ cheers and applause ] god has different ideas. he didn't know he was being used by god. blinded by hatred the alleged killer could not see the grace surrounding reverend pinckney and that bible study group. the light of love that shown as they opened the church doors and invited a stranger to join in

their prayer circle. the alleged killer could have never anticipated the way the families of the fallen would respond when they saw him in court in the midst of unspeakable grief with words of forgiveness! he couldn't imagine that! the alleged killer could not imagine how the city of charleston, under the good and wise leadership of mayor riley, how the state of south carolina how the united states of america would respond not merely with revulsion at his evil act but with big-hearted generosity and, more importantly, with a

thoughtful introspection and self-examination that we so rarely see in public life. blinded by hatred he failed to comprehend what reverend pinckney so well understood -- the power of god's grace. this whole week i've been reflecting on this idea of grace. [ cheers and applause ] the grace of the families who lost loved ones the grace that reverend pinckney would preach about in his sermons, the grace described in one of my favorite

hymnals, the one we all know, "amazing grace." how sweet the sound like me. i once was lost but now i'm found, was blind but now i see. ♪ >> according to the christian tradition, grace is not earned. grace is not merited. it's not something we deserve.

rather grace is the free and benevolent favor of god. as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings blessings, grace. as nation out of this terrible tragedy, god has visited grace upon us for he has allowed us to see where we've been blind. [ cheers and applause ] he has given us the chance where we've been lost to find our best several s selves

selves. we may not have earned this grace with our rancor and complacency and shortsightedness and fear of each other, but we got it all the same. he gave it to us anyway. he's once more given us grace. but it is up to us now to make the most of it to receive it with gratitude and to prove ourselves worthy of this gift. for too long we were blind to the pain that the confederate flag stirred in too many of our citizens. it's true a flag did not cause these murders, but as people from all walks of life republicans and democrats now

acknowledge, including governor hailey whose recent eloquence on the subject is worthy of praise as we all have to acknowledge the flag has always represented more than just ancestral pride. [ applause ] for many, black and white, that flag was a reminder of systemic oppression and racial subjugation. we see that now.

removing the flag from this state's capitol would not be an act of political correctness, it would not be an insult to the valor of confederate soldiers. it would similarly be an acknowledgment that the cause for which they fought the cause of slavery, was wrong. the imposition of jim crow after the civil war, the resistance to civil rights for all people was wrong.

it would be one step in an honest accounting of america's history. aed modest but meaningful balm for so many unhealed wounds. it would be an expression of the amazing changes that have transformed this state and this country for the better because of the work of so many people of good will people of all races striving to form a more perfect union union. by taking down that flag we express god's grace. [ applause ] but i don't think god wants us to stop there.

for too long we've been blind to the way past injustices continue to shape the present. perhaps we see that now. perhaps this tragedy permits us to ask tough questions about how we can allow so m m of our children to languish in ti or attend dilapidated schools or grow up without prospects iffer a job or career. perhaps it examines what we're doing to cause some of our children to hate. perhaps it softens hearts towards those last young men, tens and tens of thousands caught up in the criminal

justice system and lead us to make sure that that system's not infected with bias, that we embrace changes in how we train and equip our police so that the bond of trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve make us all safer and more secure. maybe we now realize the way racial bias can infect us even when we don't realize it. so that we're guarding against not just racial slur bus also against the sudden impulse to call johnny back for a job interview but not jamal.

so that we search our hearts when we consider laws to make it harder for some of our fellow citizens to vote. by recognizing our common humanity, by treating every child as important, regardless of the color of their skin or the station into which they were born and to do what's necessary to make opportunity real for every american. by doing that, we express god's grace.

for too long for too long we've been blind to the unique mayhem that gun violence inflicts upon this nation. sporadically our eyes are open when eight of our broters and sisters are cut down in a church basement, 12 in a movie theater, 26 in an elementary school but i hope we also see the 30 precious lives cut short by gun violence in this country every single day. can countless more whose lives are forever changed, the

survivors crippled the children traumatized and fearful every day as they walk to school, the husband who will never feel his wife's warm touch, the entire communities whose grief overflows every time they have to watch what happened to them happen to some other place. the vast majority of americans, the majority of gun owners want to do something about this. we see that now. and i'm convinced that by acknowledging the pain and loss of others even as we respect the traditions and ways of life that make up this beloved country, by making the moral choice to change we express god's grace. [ applause ]

we don't earn grace. we're all sinners. we don't deserve it. but god gives it to us anyway and we choose how to receive it. it's our decision how to honor it. none of us can or should expect a transformation in race relations overnight. every time something like this happens, somebody says we have to have a conversation about race. we talk a lot about race. there's no shortcut. we don't need more talk. [ applause ] none of us will

believe a handful of gun safety measures will prevent tragedy. lit not. people of good will will continue to debate the merits of various policies. as our democracy requires it is a big, raucous place america is. and they're good people on both sides of these debates. wa whatever solutions we find will be necessarily incomplete. but it will be a betrayal of everything mayor pinckney stood for, i believe. if we allowed ourselves to slip into a comfortable silence

again. once the eulogies have been delivered, once the temperature cameras move on to go back to business as usual, that's what we so often do. to avoid uncomfortable truths about the prejudice that still infects our society. to settle for symbolic gestures without following up with the hard work of more lasting change. that's how we lose our way again. it would be a refutation of the forgiveness expressed by those families if we merely slipped into old habits whereby those who disagree with us are not merely wrong but bad, where we shout instead of listen where we barricade ourselves behind preconceived notions or

well-practiced cynicism. reverend pinckney once said across the south, we have a deep appreciation of history, we haven't always had a deep appreciation of each other's history. when it's true in the south, it's true for america. clem understood that justice grows out of recognition. of ourselves and each other. that my liberty depends on you being free too. that history can't be a sword to justify injustice or a shield against progress but must be a

manual for how to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, how to break the cycle, a roadway toward a better world. he knew that the path of grace involves an open mind but more importantly an open heart. that's what i felt this week an open heart. that more than any particular policy or analysis is what's called upon right now, i think. what a friend of mine the writer marilyn robinson calls "that reservoir of goodness beyond and of another kind that we are able to do each other in the ordinary cause of things."

that reservoir of goodness. if we can find that grace, anything is possible. if we can tap that grace, everything can change. amazing grace. amazing grace. ♪ amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me ♪

♪ i once was lost but now am found was blind ♪ ♪ but now i see ♪ clementa pinckney found that grace. cynthia hurd found that grace. susie jackson found that grace. ethel lance found that grace.

depayne middleton-doctor found that grace. tywanza sanders found that grace. daniel l. simmons sr. found that grace. sharonda coleman-singleton found that grace. myra thompson found that grace. through the example of their lives, they've now passed it on to us. may we find ourselves worthy of that precious and extraordinary gift as long as our lives endure, may grace now lead them home. may god continue to shed his grace on the united states of america. ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪

♪ >> we ask that the reverend come with the prayer of comfort and then words by the funeral home to give us direction and we'll be on our way. we want to thank you, mr. president, for a powerful message. a powerful message.

let the church say amen. >> amen! >> let us bow our heads in prayer. o when i come to the end of my journey, weary of life and the battle that's won, carrying the staff and the cross of redemption, he'll understand, and he'll say "well done." by the grace and glory, i pray that our ruler and our redeemer bless and comfort us as we prepare to leave this place. we've mourned today the untimely and tragic death of the reverend clementa pinckney, but we've also celebrated his exemplary spirit-filled life of work and service. we grieve his passing but we rejoice that because he was and is your child he resides in your eternal presence. where there is no gun violence, no racial prejudice, no pain and no danger.

rejoice that he now lives eternally in a land where every day is a day of unspeakable joy. let us remember him as we navigate life's unpredictable pathways, for we know that if we trust in you we will never walk alone. bless his wife jennifer daughters, his father and their extended family and the families of the eight other souls as they grapple with their grief. be their comfort, their refuge, and their strength, and help them to remember that even when the visitors have slacked off and the phone calls become less frequent you're still always just a prayer away. bless those of us in the ame church and of the broader family of faith. keep our physical and spiritual arms around this family so that we can be your instruments of consolation and assurance. bless us to live our faith as clementa pinckney did so that we can be advocates for all

humankind and change things for the better. bless our community, state and world. we've come together in a mighty way to deal with a horrific tragedy. now, lord keep us together so that we can continue to stand and work together and find common ground for equality and prosperity and justice and progress not on our terms but on your terms. bless and be with us dear lord. lead, guide, protect us so we can remember clementa pinckney by serving you as he did and so that some glad morning when this life is over for each of us our legacy will say as does a familiar hymn that epitomizes his legacy if i can help somebody as i pass along, then my living will not be in vain. amen. >> thank you so much. may you please be seated for a moment and receive these

instructions, please. if you will please be seated. you will not be able to exit the building so it's best to have a seat. ladies and gentlemen, following the closing selection as the bishops and the elders and others will greet the family the order of departure from this sanctuary, senator pinckney and immediate family the members of pinckney's extended family who are traveling to marion for the burial, the president, the first lady the vice president and dr. biden, secretary clinton and the senators and representatives of the u.s. congress the bishops and the supervisors, and after these groups have departed, we will dismiss the rest of the congregation.

let me acknowledge the sel president, dr. steele. thank you for being here. congressman steny hall. >> and there you have it the end of the worship service here in charleston. that's reverend jim darby wrapping things up. before that it was a 30-minute eulogy that was at times a call to action and other times it was a sunday service. the president of the united states toward the very end there breaking into song singing, again, a song that is very familiar with those of us who grew up in black churches in south carolina, "amazing grace," leading the congregation there and talking about the grace that all the victims, all four of them found in death. president obama also calling for action once again using this as an opportunity to talk about gun control in this country, gun violence, spend some time talking about the confederate

flag as well. in fact, that was one of the parts of the eulogy that got the loudest ovation. we were told in advance it would not be a political speech but it was just that. i'm joined now by melissa harris-perry back with me and lonnie randolph the longtime president of the south carolina naacp, and full disclosure also my childhood optometrist as well. >> optometrist. give my profession the right link. >> there you go. good to see you as always. >> always grad to see you. congratulations to you. >> thank you very much. doctor, did you hear what you wanted to hear from the president of the united states? >> well i heard a great message. i don't like for people to speak what i want to hear. i like for hem to speak what's best for the people and the president spoke like i have not heard him speak before for the country, for the country.

no particular area because all of them need help. and i was encouraged about what i heard today. it's hard to think that he could come in and enend with a message about john newton the person who wrote "amazing grace," after bricking over his last load of slaves to america and almost dying. what belter song to end his words with today. >> and we heard at the very end of the eulogy the president said amazing grace, grace for the united states of america, and that emphasis on united i understood to be a way of saying this is not the confederacy, we are not a divided nation we are not -- this is not a moment of secession or of racial -- this is about us being united. >> one of the things i've always said is that unfortunately people don't tell the truth about what goes on. race has been a problem. we've had civil rights bills in

1866, 1871 1875, 1960 '64, '80, and '91. how many civil rights bills do we need to pass to make things right in america? they haven't passed one voting rights act for white women. why does it take eight or nine civil rights bills to get things right? we can do this if everybody would do what they're supposed to do do unto others as you would have them doe unto you. >> dr. randolph you have been on the front lines of the fight to bring down the confederate battle fight. literally my entire life you've been doing this. >> i remember you since you were a baby now. >> but you've been on the front lines of that fight and then to see you standing in the rotunda of the statehouse this week steps away from strom thurmond's son, steps away from other folks who are not always political allies, do you think that this

is the time that lit happen? or do you think that some of the good will that has been built up over the past week will be squandered? >> well unfortunately, at 65, i have to be very cautious. you know, when you're young, you can be a little less cautious but at 65, remember how old i am, i'm a lot more cautious. i'm encouraged about what i've seen, the people of charleston -- and let me tell you, there are great people in this country great people in south carolina. i do want south carolina to recognize the work that good people do. remember our statehouse grounds is a shrines to bigotry, a shrine to bigotry. we have a statehouse grounds that recognizes everybody that has done something wrong to primarily people of color. we have a gynecologistology our statehouse grounds that tortured black women in south carolina. we have the persons who have just done some horrible things.

>> ben tillman. >> and, yes, you mentioned strom thurmond. but let me tell you the good thing about that. i did not hear it but my bay si sister heard strom thurmond's son speak last week. i'm going to give him a call because for him to know that and just be honest -- he was honest. yes, whoever it was did not do what was right by people. i was at the hoe tale in -- hotel in 1965 my father died just within months and i heard one of the nastiest most inhumane speeches ever given by a person a human being. strom thurmond gave that speech. the "n" word was used to entire speech. to hear this young man knowing the faults of his family and saying i want to do better we're going to do better i'm

impressed with that and i believe it. >> stick around all right? if you have time please stay with us, dr. randall. i want to bring in krista ball as well at a hotel lobby just a few blocks from the td arena here. people went to that lobby to watch the services because so many were turned away from the arena. good afternoon to you. >> reporter: exactly right, craig. we watched with folks in that lobby, people who couldn't get into the arena gathered there. big response to the president's speech. a lot of energy and excitement, people singing along with him as he sang "amazing grace" and really saying they responded to that theme of grace. irm joined by two folks who were in the arena, charles wright and larry jett. thanks for being with me. charles, what was it like inside the arena? >> an amazing graceful experience. it was just -- it was just

something that was extraordinary, and anybody could have been transformed just to be here today. something like i've never seen in my entire life. >> reporter: mr. jett do you feel comforted by what you heard from the president today? >> oh yes. he was fantastic. he led the song "amazing grace," got us singing it preached on grace, which is the name of my schch grace, so that was right nice of him, yes. i enjoyed every minute of it. >> and what were some of the themes that really spoke to you? you both came a long way from florida to be here for this historic day, probably i'm sure waited in line a long time this morning. >> we did. >> what were some of the themes that spoke to you from the president? >> well the things that was resonating so powerfully was ones that we've been hearing all week and the ones that we believe in as an ame church and that is that love is the center of everything and grace is

something that is given to all of us and over the last eight to nine days that's what have been repeated over and over and over, especially from the families of those that fell last week. and that's what the president talked about today was the grace that those individuals showed but mar man that the grace that has embraced all of us, that christ gave us to more than 2,000 years ago on the can cross. >> that message of love and grace has been absolutely incredible. he also spoke act the controversy over the confederate flag and the work that remains to be done. what's some of the work you'd like to see continue to be done in this community and across the country? >> one of the main things that all people have the right to vote, that we would take down these signs and we all can vote. that is the most important thing that people die and live for,

for us to have a chance to vote. and i take that very seriously. and grace, i've neve seen much grace of a family that lost loved ones. they was asking for forgiveness. i forgive you, a lady who just lost her son. she said i forgive you. >> reporter: yes. >> that's grace. that's ame. >> that was a lesson to us all about grace and about the power of forgiveness. unforgettable scene there and unforgettable scene today. gentlemen, thanks so much for joining us and your thoughts. craig, back to you. >> krystal, thank you so much. we can tell you that president obama also spent some time meeting with the pinckney family. we're told that the president right now is meeting with families of the other eight victims as well. that happening here in charleston.

let's go to frances rivera, who remains outside the mother emanuel ame church from us about two blocks from here in downtown charleston. i understand you have more news inside the arena for the service. >> reporter: we do. more and more people exiting the arena and coming down here and the difference between this time versus earlier in the day, they're not just passing by this time. they're stopping. they want to stay. it seems like more and more people are anticipating something. earlier we did see some canines come inside far bit of a sweep, something we hadn't seen all day, and also there has been an increased presence of law enforcement around mother emanuel and also more media, more camera crews here fixing their cameras along the barricade here. the question is will the president drive by with his motorcade, will he stop by will he visit mother emanuel before he leaves charleston. that's something that we are watching closely here as we also are watching the president. they're still inside td arena as

he makes his way out, last-minute visits and words with the people there. this is a place where many people have been stopping by all day, even throughout the funeral. but they'll stop by with their moments of reflection, moments of prayer dropping off flowers and notes as they have been in the past nine days since this horrific shooting too, and even the particular times opening up in prayer prayer circles braking out in song something we've seen continuously here as reverend pinckney was laid to rest with his name still listed as the pastor here where he has been since 2010. the doors of the church have been closed throughout the day. we did see them open for members of the church earlier this morning when they congregated before the procession and when state troopers brought out the coffin of reverend pinckney and loaded that into the hearse. very powerful moment this morning knowing that members of the church, this is the last

time they would be together with the reverend pinckney. i want to bring in steve, who attended the funeral services inside td arena. this is charleston to you, and i'm sure you've followed the developments and the people coming here and visiting every day since that shooting. how is today different? how is this visit in front of mother emanuel different than other times? >> great question. today is more hopeful. i think people walked out of that arena feeling like we were rising out of pain into new possibilities. we are looking from -- going from tragedy to triumph. clem led a very short life but a meaningful life that touched many others. >> you called him clem because obviously you didn't attend this service as an outsider and church member. reverend pinckney was your friend. tell us about your relationship. >> indeed. we knew each other for 18 years. he was a young legislator when we connected, we were doing

social justice work and just became sort of a person in your life wrote you know always has your back. i guess that's the best way to say it. kind gentle. everything said about him today was absolutely on target. >> i can't help but notice a smile on your face when you speak about him, something yes flekted with so many people here with smiles and we saw that on the day that the shooter had his bond hearing and heard from family members and right away the words uttered, we forgive you, we understand may you find remorse has been the theme we've seen, the steps here of the church time and time again. is that something that strikes you, that even though that we understand that there is so much forgiveness from day one that you continually see the outpouring of love? >> absolutely. and clem -- the reason i'm smiling is i don't think i ever shook his hand in 18 years. he always got up and hugged. >> reporter: big hug. >> giant hug. he squeezed you. you didn't have to do anything.

it was very disarming. i think he did it because he was a tall african-american man with a deep voice and a very impressive career and i think some people were intimidated by him and that was his way of getting beyond that. >> as we look around and you see the crowd growing as some people may be anticipating possibly a visit or a drive of the motorcade as the president before he leaves i have to ask you, this has been the reality of your community from the last nine days with us here, the cameras, the barricades and all of that. does this symbolize, this day, a start of a true healing as far as when all of this goes away? in essence the fi calphysicalness of all of this being here. is that going to symbolize something for you? >> i think so. so many people knew so many of the victims. it's not like we just knew one or two. and all of them were involved in the community in some way. so there's multiple grieving

going on but right now i think people are remembering all the good that these nine people did for our community and they want to emulate it. they want to teach their kids about it. very spiritual moment for our community. >> when you say spiritual moment, i lost track of how many references of faith, of spirituality, the bible, of god that the president made during the time he was giving his eulogy. even at the end breaking out in song with "amazing grace" where he named each victim by name one by one saying they have found the grace. and what was that inside as that erupted? >> it was electric. just electric. you know, obama -- we think he got his start here in south carolina, especially in charleston, especially with the primary six years ago, and so we kind of feel like we own a little bit of him. so this isn't a new place for him to come to. he has a very emotional investment and consequently we got very excited about the energy that he brought. >> reporter: we appreciate your sharing that experience with us

as there seems to be another experience here more and more people -- >> yes. don't let me stop you. >> more and more arena, coming here. again. more police presence more camera crews. and we'll continue to follow it and bring that to you. >> francis, thank you so much for that. i want to bring in dr. melissa harris perry one more time. the eulogy. how did that eulogy compare to other speeches that the president has given on race? >> i think it's so important that reference this eulogy. you and i all day have been talking to people. this isn't a commemoration march. this isn't an historic moment about the passage of a law. this is a man whose my age, 41 years old. who young children. his wife his widow was there as

he was murdered because of hate. and if we lose that in our rush to make this about our collective healing. so i am in awe. i think the president captured that sense of awe about the grace of these people who can allow it to somehow be about these united states of america. even as this widow goes home tonight, not from tragedy to triumph, but without her husband. and we've talked we've heard the president talk about the importance of fathers in the lives of their children for his entire presidency. and i just do not want us to miss that racism walked into the church that is mother emmanuel and murdered nine people, including elderly women and including this state senator. and we must reckon with that. we must recognize that hate lives in this moment. and when we take that flag down

as i believe it will come down that hate will live in this moment. and it is only by embracing this ethic that we heard today. and i heard the president do it and it was wonderful and extraordinary but i do not want us to miss the loss in this moment. >> dr. ral dofl where do we go from here. >> we i i think 503 days until the next election in this country. don't let this moment pass without doing something without speaking having your voices heard. and in south carolina alone i'm sorry to tell you. we have 283,000 black voters in south carolina. and another 300,000 that don't go to the polls. there is no reason south carolina, for 47th in the country in voter participation. it is bad across the state. america's voting is bad. but we must capture this moment.

we must do things that people who are free do. and the most powerful thing to have is our vote. and the issue as far as other issues that the flag doesn't address, well it doesn't address those issues. but i like at a citizen being respected by the state government because in south carolina, for 200 years, remember we open our doors in 1788 and we closed them in 19 -- 1860 when we decided to secede from the union because we wanted to hustle and sell people. and those days are s areare gone but we must work. july 4th of this year america will be 239 years old. how much longer we going to continue to do this? >> can i -- so too voter id restriction. >> i don't agree with vote --

>> as we wrap up this conversation here you can see the president's motor kad preparing to leave the arena here in charleston south carolina and back to the air force base and back to washington d.c. it's been a full day for the president of course. this morning from the rose garden where he spoke shortly after the supreme court legalized same-sex marriage in the country. and then came down and the vice president of the united states and dr. joe biden as well. the along with the speaker of the house. john boehner was here. we're told they road down here on air force one together. i did not mean to interrupt. francis i know you are still there at the church for us. is the crowd there growing? >> reporter: it is. >> and i can't tell whether the

motor kad is going to be able to make its way past mother emmanuel. can you? >> reporter: they are turning into the meeting street. what you are looking is what we believe to be the funeral procession. these are hearses. and as more and more people are walking along calhoun and staying here by the church we see the motor kad turn on the meeting as a funeral procession. that is not confirmed but from my vantage point you basically have wurn cornone corner. and as they turn the white tents you see at the top of the screen is where we are. so they are essentially coming this way but they are making that corner on to meeting. we don't know if they are going to be circling back and coming

around the opposite way of calhoun but something we're watching as the crowds again are -- as you can see from this vantage point here the crowds are gathering at that intersection as well as right here in front of the mother emmanuel church here just anticipating what may happen craig. >> your vantage point a lot better than mine. so thank you for clarifying that francis. we can tell you as the funeral procession makes its way here they are going to take the late senator's body to jasper county where he will be laid to rest. he'll be laid to rest in his hometown of ridgefield next to his mother we're told. i do want to bring back dr. melissa harris perry. thank you for your time. dr. lonnie randolph. went to school with my mother. thank you for being with us for the special conchverage of the

funeral. and as we depart, a quick thank you to the people of south carolina. so much has been made to this city's response to tragedy. people didn't take to the streets. instead they went to church. prayed thousands of them and locked arms. love one here not hate. that's the message and i think most likely the legacy from this tragedy as well. now a look back at the more poignant moments from today's service. ♪ >> preacher by 13 pastor by 18. public servant by 23. what a life clementa pinckney lived. what an example he set. amazing grace. how sweet the sound.

that saved a retch like me. i once was lost, but now i'm found. clementa pinckney found that grace. cynthia heard found that grace. susie jackson found that grace. ethyl lance found that grace. tywanza sanders found that grace. daniel l simmons, sr. found that grace. mira thompson found that grace. through the example of their lives, they have now passed it on to us. may we find ourselves worthy of that precious and extraordinary gift. as long as as our lives endure

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