At first, Lee remained in the background as other preachers with national profiles descended on Ferguson and became spokesmen for the Brown family after the death. Lee held private counseling sessions each Tuesday with Michael Brown Sr.
In September, when it seemed less likely with each passing day that police Officer Darren Wilson would be charged, he broke his silence. He signed up to be a regional representative for Al Sharpton’s National Action Network. He declared publicly, for the first time, that he believed Wilson should be arrested.
That’s when hateful messages and death threats started — from Wilson supporters, from white supremacist groups and from Internet bigots.
“Seventy-one death threats. But I’ll never forget what one man said to me: ‘I’m going to come pick you up with all you other hateful n----- preachers and put you all in your church and burn you straight to hell.’ ”
All that is left of the church, Lee says, is the charred banner that had hung proudly at the front door.
