Pharrell Williams gave Emanuel AME church-goers a reason to be happy Sunday morning.
The Grammy award-winning and Oscar-nominated Williams visited the Charleston, South Carolina church to perform his song, “Freedom” with the church’s Gospel choir to a full congregation.
The performance will air as a part of a A&E TV special hosted by Soledad O’Brien later this month on race relations in the community.
The Charleston Tragedy: 6 Things to Know About the Illustrious History of Emanuel AME Church
Emanual AME Church, most notably, was the target of a mass shooting in which nine people were killed during a prayer service in June of 2015.
In an interview with Wavy.com, Emanuel AME interim pastor Rev. Novel Goff Sr., stated that the message of Williams’ song is one that should spread diversity and inclusiveness.
“Pharrell’s ‘Freedom,’ that’s the message that we all should take around the world,” he said. “Freedom in God and being able to work together to make our communities better place for all of us.”