Birmingham remembers the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, 62 years later
Monday marked the 62nd anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham that killed four young Black girls.
Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley and Carole Robertson were killed while in the bathroom after just attending Sunday school. The bombing was a significant moment in the Civil Rights Movement and Birmingham’s history.
Monday’s memorial service at the church included a sermon by Rev. Arthur Price and a talk from former Alabama Attorney General, Bill Baxley, who was responsible for prosecuting one of the bombers, Robert Chambliss. Decades later, two other perpetrators were also convicted.
“There’s some consolation to know all three of ’em were found guilty by an Alabama jury, and they all died in an Alabama prison,” Baxley told the crowd, which was met with emphatic applause.
The Carlton Reese Memorial Unity Choir performed hymns throughout the service, including “We Shall Overcome,” which has historically been associated with the Civil Rights Movement.
At 10:22 a.m. bells tolled after the names of the victims were read, including Virgil Ware and Johnnie Robinson who were killed on the same day in acts of racial violence.
Outside the church, a wreath was laid at the monument honoring McNair, Collins, Wesley and Robertson.
Vahini Shori is a Report for America corps member covering faith and culture for WBHM.
This reporting is supported by WBHM’s Local Journalism Innovation Fund. Find out more about the fund and how to donate here.
Mentally ill people are stuck in jail because they can’t get treatment. Here’s what’s to know
Hundreds of people across Alabama await a spot in the state’s increasingly limited facilities, despite a consent decree requiring the state to address delays in providing care for people who are charged with crimes but deemed too mentally ill to stand trial. But seven years since the federal agreement, the problem has only worsened.
Ivey appoints Will Parker to Alabama Supreme Court
Parker fills the court seat vacated by Bill Lewis who was tapped by President Donald Trump for a federal judgeship. The U.S. Senate last month confirmed Lewis as a U.S. district judge.
How Alabama Power kept bills up and opposition out to become one of the most powerful utilities in the country
In one of the poorest states in America, the local utility earns massive profits producing dirty energy with almost no pushback from state regulators.
No more Elmo? APT could cut ties with PBS
The board that oversees Alabama Public Television is considering disaffiliating from PBS, ending a 55-year relationship.
Nonprofit erases millions in medical debt across Gulf South, says it’s ‘Band-Aid’ for real issue
Undue Medical Debt has paid off more than $299 million in medical debts in Alabama. Now, the nonprofit warns that the issue could soon get worse.
Roy Wood Jr. on his father, his son and his new book
Actor, comedian and writer Roy Wood Jr. is out with a new book -- "The Man of Many Fathers: Life Lessons Disguised as a Memoir." He writes about his experience growing up in Birmingham, losing his dad as a teenager and all the lessons he learned from various father figures throughout his career.
