The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing occurred in Birmingham, AL, on September 15, 1963. Four young girls were killed in the blast: 14-year-olds Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, and Carole Robertson, and 11-year-old Carol Denise McNair. Addie Mae's sister Sarah was blinded in one eye; an estimated 22 people in total were wounded. The victims were all African American.
The perpetrators of the violent attack were members of the KKK. The bombing became a catalyst for the then-growing civil rights movement of the 1960s, which led to the signing of the Civil Rights Act and the desegregation of much of the Southern United States. The church bombing in Birmingham was a heinous act that killed innocent girls, all of whom were posthumously awarded Congressional Gold Medals in 2013.
The bomb was put into place in time for it to go off right before that Sunday's church service began. The bombers placed 15 sticks of dynamite attached to a timer beneath the building's steps - close to the basement, where Sunday school would be held that morning.
The bomb went off at 10:22 am, causing mass confusion and panic. Four girls were killed, and at least 22 attendees were injured. The event left Birmingham terrified and scrambling.
Four girls were killed in the explosion; they were in the basement of the church. The four who lost their lives that day were Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Carol Denise McNair. Addie Mae, Cynthia, and Carole were 14, while Carol Denise was 11. Addie Mae's sister Sarah was also with them, but she survived the blast.
In 2013, all four girls were posthumously awarded Congressional Gold Medals, the highest civilian honor given by the US government.
The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing took place in 1963, and even though the FBI named suspects, none were prosecuted for the attack until 1977. Part of this was because witnesses were afraid to come forward, and most of the physical evidence was destroyed in the explosion. It likely didn't help that J. Edgar Hoover, then head of the FBI, wasn't fond of the civil rights movement.
In 1976, Alabama Attorney General Bill Baxley reopened the case and began prosecuting the bombers the following year.
Violence broke out in Birmingham as the civil rights movement continued and African American leaders called for desegregation. The 16th Street Baptist Church was the third predominantly African American church bombed in 11 days.
Earlier that same year, the motel that Martin Luther King Jr. stayed at - the Gaston Motel - was bombed, as was the home of King's brother, A.D. King. The Birmingham home of NAACP attorney Arthur Shores was firebombed on both August 20 and September 4, 1963.
It was a dangerous time to be in Birmingham, but civil rights advocates persisted.