16th Street Baptist Church bombing
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The 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing was a racially motivated terrorist incident at Birmingham, Alabama's 16th Street Baptist Church that proved to be a turning point of the U.S. civil rights movement of the 1960s.
The attack was designed to incite fear into the community supporting the civil rights movement. Instead, it created a public outrage and spurred the civil rights movement on to success.
The three-story 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama had been a rallying point for many of civil rights activities. In the early morning hours of Sunday, September 15, 1963, Ku Klux Klan members Bobby Frank Cherry and Robert Edward Chambliss (aka Dynamite Bob) planted 19 sticks of dynamite in the basement of the Church.
At about 10:25 AM, with 80 children walking into the basement assembly room for closing prayers after hearing the ironically-titled sermon, "The Love That Forgives" on the church's Youth Day, the bombs exploded. Four young girls — Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, and Denise McNair — were killed in the blast, while 22 more were injured.
The explosion blew a hole in the church's rear wall, destroyed the back steps and left standing only the frames of all but one stained glass window. The lone window to withstand the blast was one in which Jesus Christ was leading young children, although Christ's face had been destroyed. In addition, five cars behind the church were damaged, with two of them destroyed, while windows in the laundry across the street were blown out.
Outrage at the bombing and the grief that followed resulted in violence across Birmingham, with two more African-American youths dead by the end of the day. 16-year-old Johnnie Robinson was shot and killed by police after throwing stones at cars with white people inside, while 13-year-old Virgil Ware was killed by two whites riding on a motor scooter.
Three days after the tragedy, former Birmingham police commissioner Bull Connor further inflamed matters by saying to a crowd of 2,500 people at a Citizen's Council meeting, "If you're going to blame anyone for getting those children killed in Birmingham, it's your Supreme Court." Connor recalled that in 1954, after the Brown vs. Board of Education decision had been reached, he said, "You're going to have bloodshed, and it's on them (the Court), not us." He also proposed that African-Americans may have set the bomb deliberately to provoke an emotional response, saying, "I wouldn't say it's above (Dr. Martin Luther) King's crowd."
Chambliss was initially charged for the murders but there was no conviction. Years later it was found that the FBI had accumulated evidence against the bombers that had not been revealed to the prosecutors, by order of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. In 1977, Chambliss was prosecuted by Alabama Attorney-General Bill Baxley and was convicted for the murders and sentenced to several terms of life imprisonment. He died in prison in 1985.
After reopening the case several times, the FBI in 2000 assisted the state authorities in bringing charges against Cherry and Thomas Blanton. Blanton and Cherry were convicted by state court juries and sentenced to life in prison. Cherry, who always denied his involvement, died on November 18, 2004.
The song "Birmingham Sunday", composed by Richard Farina and recorded by Joan Baez, chronicled the events and aftermath of the bombing.
A 1997 documentary about the bombing, 4 Little Girls, directed by Spike Lee, was nominated for an Academy Award for "Best Documentary".
Victims
- Born November 17, 1951, Carol Denise McNair was the first child of photo shop owner Chris and schoolteacher Maxine McNair. Her playmates called her Niecie. A pupil at Center Street Elementary School she had many friends. She held tea parties, was a member of the Brownies, and played baseball. She helped raise money to support muscular dystrophy by creating plays, dance routines, and poetry readings. These events became an annual event. People gathered in the yard to watch the show in Denise’s carport, the main stage. Children donated their pennies, dimes, and nickels.
- Born April 30, 1949, Cynthia Wesley was the first adopted daughter of Claude and Gertrude Wesley, whom were both teachers. Her mother made her clothes because of her petite size. Cynthia went to school at Ullman High School, which no longer exists. She excelled in math, reading, and band. Cynthia held parties in her backyard for all her friends. Upon Cynthia’s death she was so mutilated the only way to recognize her was by the ring she wore, which was recognized by her father.
- Carole Robertson was born April 24th, 1949. She was the third child of Alpha and Alvin Robertson. Her sister was Dianne and her brother was Alvin. Her father was a band master at the local elementary school. Her mother was a librarian, avid reader, dancer, and clarinet player. Carole, like her mother, enjoyed reading. She excelled at school and was a straight-A student, a member of Parker High School marching band and science club. She was also a Girl Scout and belonged to Jack and Jill of America. When she was at Wilkerson Elementary School she sang in the choir. Her legacy helped create the Carole Robertson Center for Learning in Chicago, a social service agency that serves children and their families.
- Addie Mae Collins was born April 18th, 1948, the daughter of Oscar and Alice. Her father was a janitor and her mother a homemaker. She was one of seven children. Addie was the peacemaker between the bunch. She was also an avid softball player. A youth center dedicated to Addie and her ideals was created in Alabama.
Quotes
- "It was clear that she lacked things, but she was quiet, a sweet girl.”- the pastor of the church, Rev. John Cross, at the time of the bombing in reference to Addie Mae
- "I remember that underhand," Janie, the older sister of Addie Mae
References
References
- Hansen, Jeff and John Archibald. (September 15, 1997) "[Church bomb felt like 'world shaking']." Birmingham News.
External links
- [Online archives] at the Birmingham Public Library, including the investigation and trial
- [website] of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
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