Susie Jackson

People

Susie Jackson

Outcome

unknown

Susie Jackson (1928 – June 17, 2015) was a longtime member of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church who was assassinated along with eight other congregants during a Wednesday night Bible study session by white supremacist Dylann Roof. At 87 years old, she was the oldest of the nine victims killed that night. Her great-nephew Tywanza Sanders, 26, who was also killed in the attack, died trying to protect her—stepping in front of the gunman and attempting to shield her from the bullets. Susie Jackson was a Burke High School graduate and had been a dedicated member of Emanuel AME Church for many years, where she sang in the choir. She lived on Alexander Street in Charleston for more than 50 years, deeply rooted in the community she called home. On the evening of June 17, 2015, Jackson attended the Wednesday night Bible study with three members of her family: her niece Felicia Sanders, her great-nephew Tywanza Sanders, and Felicia's 11-year-old granddaughter. During the attack, Tywanza confronted Dylann Roof, reportedly trying to talk him out of shooting the others. When Roof opened fire, Tywanza was the first person shot after stepping in front of his aunt. As he lay dying, he reached out to try to help Susie Jackson. Both perished in the attack, while Felicia Sanders and her granddaughter survived by playing dead. In 2019, the City of Charleston renamed a portion of Alexander Street—where Jackson had lived for over five decades—as Susie Jackson Way. The city also announced plans for the Susie Jackson Freedom Memorial Garden to honor all nine victims. That garden opened in 2023, located adjacent to the Charleston County Public Library at 68 Calhoun Street and running along Alexander Street. In 2024, nearly a decade after the tragedy, bronze busts of all nine victims, including Susie Jackson, were unveiled at Allen University in Columbia.