Mother Emanuel: Two Centuries of Race, Resistance, and Forgiveness in One Charleston Church

Dayton Literary · 2026 · Winner

Award History

Award	Year	Status	Citation
Dayton Literary Peace Prize – Nonfiction	2026	Winner	“Mother Emanuel by Kevin Sack won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Nonfiction in 2026.”

About This Book

A history of Charleston's Emanuel AME Church, from its 1817 break with white churches through the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Civil Rights Movement, and of how the congregation's faith shaped survival after profound grief. Winner of the 2026 Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Nonfiction.

About the Author

Kevin SackAmerican

Kevin Sack is an American journalist who has covered national affairs for more than four decades and has been part of three Pulitzer Prize–winning teams. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, he spent thirty years at The New York Times and teaches journalism at Princeton University. Mother Emanuel won the 2026 Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Nonfiction.