Report: Pharrell to sing with Emanuel AME choir

Even as the shadow of loss still looms, Mother Emanuel is shining a light.

The Charleston, S.C., church – which lost nine black members in a mass shooting over the summer – is reportedly hosting critically-acclaimed musician and The Voice coach Pharrell Williams this Sunday.

USA TODAY was not immediately able to reach his representatives for additional comment.

WCBD News 2 reports that Williams' performance is part of a series of special programming for A&E Networks and iHeartMedia, which partnered this year to address the state of race relations in America.

Sunday's service will serve as the prologue to Shining a Light: A Concert for Progress on Race in America, a two-hour affair promoting racial equity and reconciliation. As USA TODAY previously reported, the concert will take place on Nov. 18 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and will include a score of artists – including Williams and Ed Sheeran. It will air across the A&E and iHeartMedia networks on Nov. 20.

A&E airing concert, special about race in America

The programming will be punctuated by a one-hour A&E special titled Shining a Light: Conversations on Race in America, which aims to "spark solutions-focused conversations with community members ... by fostering understanding, eliminating bias and addressing inequities that break along racial lines."

All proceeds will go to the Fund for Progress on Race in America, which will support Mother Emanuel AME Church and the general AME denomination as well as individual and community groups tackling racism through public policy initiatives and community mobilization.