MLKFS
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Board Members
    • Staff Members
    • President's Page
    • Employment >
      • Opportunities
  • Programs
    • Emergency Food Pantry >
      • The Provider Salute
      • City of Springfield Citation
    • Public Health Program
    • Family Support
    • Clemente >
      • Clemente Program
      • Clemente Faculty
      • Clemente Alumni
      • Clemente Online Application
    • King's Kids >
      • King's Kids After School Program
      • King's Kids Summer Camp
    • Summer Nights Program
    • HBCU >
      • About HBCU Tour
      • HBCU College Tour Application
      • HBCU WorkShop Series
  • Social Justice Awards
  • Donate
  • Calendar
  • Events
    • 2018 Events >
      • MLKFS 2018 King Day Celebration
      • HBCU Fair NY Trip 2018
      • Black College Tour 2018
      • 2018 Social Justice
      • SJA 2018 Sponsor Levels
      • SJA 2018 Sponsor Letter
      • Social Justice 2018 Ad Purchase
      • Social Justice Gallery 2018
      • Social Justice Videos 2018
      • Summer Camp 2018
    • 2019 Events >
      • Black College Tour 2019
      • HBCU Fair NY Trip 2019
      • MLKFS-2019 Appeal
      • Mobile Food Bank 2019
      • KING DAY 2019
      • KING DAY 2019 Gallery >
        • KING DAY 2019 Attendees
        • KING DAY 2019 Speakers
        • KING DAY 2019 Community
        • KING DAY 2019 Dance
        • KING DAY 2019 Music
      • 2019 Compilation
      • Social Justice Awards 2019 >
        • Social Justice Awards Post
        • Social Justice 2019 Tickets
        • Social Justice 2019 AD Sales
        • Social Justice 2019 Reports
        • Summer Programs 2019
    • 2020 Events >
      • MLK King Day 2020
      • Say Their Names Mural
      • Soul Food Sunday
      • Social Justice Award 2020
      • MLK Social Justice Awards Breakfast
    • 2021 Events >
      • MLK King Day 2021
      • 2021 Social Justice Honoree
      • 2021 Social Justice Awards Table Captains Meeting
      • 2021 Social Justice Awards Virtual Event
  • Media Events
    • POINT OF VIEW >
      • Social Justice 2020 Awardee
      • Mural
      • History of MLKJRFS
    • Business West >
      • Ronald Johnson
    • Systemic Racism
    • Interview with Eric Lessor
    • Racial Equity Grant
    • MLKFS on the Forefront
    • What Are You Doing For Others
    • Black History Month 2021
    • Covid-19
    • Governor Baker >
      • Re-Opening
      • Gov. Baker Budget
  • News Station Coverage
    • Community Conversation on Racism
    • Connecting Point
    • Church Burning
    • MLK Emergency Food pantry
    • MLK Mural Coverage >
      • June 4, 2020
      • June 5, 2020
      • June 6, 2020
      • New England Public Media
    • Remembering John Lewis
    • Comcast NewsMakers
    • Focus on MLKFS EMERGENCY PANTRY
  • Contact
    • Subscibe to Mailing List
    • Contact Us
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Board Members
    • Staff Members
    • President's Page
    • Employment >
      • Opportunities
  • Programs
    • Emergency Food Pantry >
      • The Provider Salute
      • City of Springfield Citation
    • Public Health Program
    • Family Support
    • Clemente >
      • Clemente Program
      • Clemente Faculty
      • Clemente Alumni
      • Clemente Online Application
    • King's Kids >
      • King's Kids After School Program
      • King's Kids Summer Camp
    • Summer Nights Program
    • HBCU >
      • About HBCU Tour
      • HBCU College Tour Application
      • HBCU WorkShop Series
  • Social Justice Awards
  • Donate
  • Calendar
  • Events
    • 2018 Events >
      • MLKFS 2018 King Day Celebration
      • HBCU Fair NY Trip 2018
      • Black College Tour 2018
      • 2018 Social Justice
      • SJA 2018 Sponsor Levels
      • SJA 2018 Sponsor Letter
      • Social Justice 2018 Ad Purchase
      • Social Justice Gallery 2018
      • Social Justice Videos 2018
      • Summer Camp 2018
    • 2019 Events >
      • Black College Tour 2019
      • HBCU Fair NY Trip 2019
      • MLKFS-2019 Appeal
      • Mobile Food Bank 2019
      • KING DAY 2019
      • KING DAY 2019 Gallery >
        • KING DAY 2019 Attendees
        • KING DAY 2019 Speakers
        • KING DAY 2019 Community
        • KING DAY 2019 Dance
        • KING DAY 2019 Music
      • 2019 Compilation
      • Social Justice Awards 2019 >
        • Social Justice Awards Post
        • Social Justice 2019 Tickets
        • Social Justice 2019 AD Sales
        • Social Justice 2019 Reports
        • Summer Programs 2019
    • 2020 Events >
      • MLK King Day 2020
      • Say Their Names Mural
      • Soul Food Sunday
      • Social Justice Award 2020
      • MLK Social Justice Awards Breakfast
    • 2021 Events >
      • MLK King Day 2021
      • 2021 Social Justice Honoree
      • 2021 Social Justice Awards Table Captains Meeting
      • 2021 Social Justice Awards Virtual Event
  • Media Events
    • POINT OF VIEW >
      • Social Justice 2020 Awardee
      • Mural
      • History of MLKJRFS
    • Business West >
      • Ronald Johnson
    • Systemic Racism
    • Interview with Eric Lessor
    • Racial Equity Grant
    • MLKFS on the Forefront
    • What Are You Doing For Others
    • Black History Month 2021
    • Covid-19
    • Governor Baker >
      • Re-Opening
      • Gov. Baker Budget
  • News Station Coverage
    • Community Conversation on Racism
    • Connecting Point
    • Church Burning
    • MLK Emergency Food pantry
    • MLK Mural Coverage >
      • June 4, 2020
      • June 5, 2020
      • June 6, 2020
      • New England Public Media
    • Remembering John Lewis
    • Comcast NewsMakers
    • Focus on MLKFS EMERGENCY PANTRY
  • Contact
    • Subscibe to Mailing List
    • Contact Us

 Hate Crime

Picture
The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Presbyterian Church on fire in Springfield, Massachusetts, on December 28, 2020.
​A man from Houlton, Maine, faces federal hate crime charges for allegedly setting a December 2020 fire that destroyed a Springfield, Massachusetts, church.
In an affidavit accompanying the criminal complaint (PDF — graphic content), an FBI agent said 44-year-old Dushko Vulchev set two small fires at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Presbyterian Church in mid-December and slashed several car tires in the immediate vicinity.
Then, on December 28, Vulchev set another fire that destroyed the building, according to the agent.
The church has a primarily Black congregation. The federal government said a search of Vulchev's vehicle and electronic devices revealed language and images demonstrating his hatred of Black people. 
FBI investigators spoke with several people who know Vulchev and said he has a "racial animus" toward non-white people and Muslims and in emails indicated he wanted to kill them.
Dr. Terrlyn Curry Avery, pastor at the church, said it's too soon to think about what justice could bring, but she feels a little relief.
“That we're drawing at least toward understanding what happened and why this happened to us," Curry Avery said.
As for rebuilding the church, Curry Avery said they’re in an early stage of understanding the costs, but the ministry moves forward.
Vulchev, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Bulgaria, is being held at Bridgewater State Hospital. He was arrested December 31, according to court documents.
Vulchev's attorney could not be immediately reached for comment.


​​Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services
106 Wilbraham Road
​Springfield, MA 01109 (ADMIN
)
(413) 746-3655
​MLKJRFS Management Team

​​