CHARLOTTE -- Almost a year later, former State Sen. Malcolm Graham said he's still struggling with the loss of his sister.
“It was just like yesterday for me and the pain is still very real,” said Graham.
Cynthia Graham Hurd, 54, was one of the nine people gunned down while at Bible study on June 17, 2015 at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston.
Graham says he remembers how his sister lived, not how she died, and he's thankful for the community for embracing his family during this difficult time.
“The community across the country, especially here in the Carolinas, have really uplifted her legacy and given us something to be really proud about her as we always were. But certainly the community has acknowledged her work and her life,” said Graham.
Every April, Johnson C. Smith University honors members of the community during the Arch of Triumph Gala. This year, the university honor the legacy of the Emanuel Nine and their families for their strength, courage and for showing the nation how to forgive.
JCSU senior Gracyn Doctor lost her mother, DePayne Doctor, during the shooting. She said she's grateful for her school's support and their efforts to extend that support to the other victims' families
“It’s overwhelming, but a good overwhelming. It shows that there's a lot of love in the community, especially from my school family,” said Doctor.
The families are connected by this tragedy but for many, the ceremony was another chance to heal.
“We have a common bond, a common loss, and so we're all in this together. So we work toward trying to come together, heal together certainly an event like tonight makes that very, very possible,” said Graham.