(28 Jan 2024)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Columbia, South Carolina – 28 January 2024
1. Wide of Saint John Baptist Church
2. Panning shot of president’s motorcade
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Edith Johnson, South Carolina resident:
“Oh, this was history. You know, to sit four seats behind the president of the United States. It was history, you know, for us and the ones who didn’t come. You know, they missed out. You know, like they always tell us in church. They missed the treat, you know.”
4. Close of Saint John Baptist Church sign
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Reverend Dr. Jamey O. Graham Sr., St. John Baptist Church:
“It means a whole lot for, for our church in our community that he, chose us to, to worship with us today. Could have chosen any, any other place. And just to think about the former pastor, Reverend Roscoe C. Wilson, and many of our members who were civil rights leaders and civil rights persons who, who fought for our freedom and justice.”
6. Zoom shot of Saint John Baptist Church sign
7. Close of church cross
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Fern Kelly, South Carolina resident:
“We worship the Lord every Sunday. Every day of the, of the week, actually. And, it was just a wonderful opportunity just to bring, together, community leaders, politicians, all with the same goal of worshiping our Lord and Savior and just having a very good time in, in service.”
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Edith Johnson, South Carolina resident:
“We are definitely, in support of President Biden. Because, you know, like I said, that, we see the choices that we have to make. And for me, I don’t go about, what a person says so much and how they say in his age, I go about, you know, the things that I see that he’s accomplishing for us. And that’s where our vote is being.”
10. Wide of president’s motorcade leaving church
AP video shot by Erik Verduzco
STORYLINE:
President Joe Biden on Sunday extolled the existence of Black churches, saying the world would be a different place if they were not around to show people the “power of faith” during times of darkness.
The Democratic president spoke at St. John Baptist Church on the final day of a two-day visit to South Carolina designed to rally Black voters before the party’s primary on Feb. 3.
Biden visited a predominantly Black barbershop and spoke at a state Democratic Party dinner after he flew in on Saturday. He capped the visit Sunday by briefly addressing worshippers.
The president is trying to spread the message that he’s loyal to South Carolina, which saved his campaign in 2020, and that he’s determined to win back Black voters here and elsewhere who were central to putting him in office but are less enthused about him this time around.
A practicing Roman Catholic who attends Mass every Sunday, Biden praised Black churches in his appearance before the Baptist congregation, saying the churches teach the “power of faith.”
He asked the worshippers to imagine “what would have happened if there had been no Black church” to turn to in times of darkness.
“Well, you give us a mountaintop, you give us a promised land, you give us a dream and a faith that we shall overcome, can overcome,” he said, echoing words once spoken by the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
“And you push us toward a more perfect union, you really do, to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice together, and what a gift to the nation and the world you’ve been."
“Your prayers mean everything,” Biden said.
He attributed the attack to Iran-backed militia groups.
AP video by Erik Verduzco
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