Photo byThe Washington Post Photo/Hal Yeager/Getty Images. Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama, USA. When the debris was searched for survivors, the bodies of four young girls were found: Cynthia Wesley, Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, and Carole Robertson. In the months leading up to the church bombing, the Civil Rights Movement had made strides in the city of Birmingham. Addie Mae Collins was one of the four little girls murdered in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing back in 1963. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Try again later. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. When the debris was searched for survivors, the bodies of the four young girls were found: ; Cynthia Wesley, Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, and Carole Robertson. Thomas told those gathered "The greatest tribute you can pay to Carole is to be calm, be loving, be kind, be innocent. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. We have set your language to Photo by AP Images. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Make sure that the file is a photo. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Four Black schoolgirls killed in Birmingham church bombing, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/four-black-schoolgirls-killed-in-birmingham. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. The youth choir would lead the congregation in music, and children would serve as ushers. Photo by Horace Cort/AP Images. On September 15, 1963, Collins and three other African-American girls were killed in a terrorist attack perpetrated by members of the Ku Klux Klan. A memorial statue to Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley the four girls killed in the attack now stands in Kelly Ingram Park, across from the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. Addie Mae's body, like so many buried in black cemeteries throughout the South, is missing. Addie Mae Collins, 14, and Denise McNair, 11, were in the choir. Four girls, Addie Mae Collins (age 14), Denise McNair (age 11), Carole Robertson (age 14), and Cynthia Wesley (age 14), were killed in the bomb blast. Here are photos from that day: Original caption: NEWS FILE/TOM SELF Firefighters sift through rubble and search for bodies in the basement of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church after a bomb killed four girls on Sunday, September 15, 1963. Select the Student Version to print the text and Text Dependent Questions only. The deaths of the four girls followed by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy two months later gave birth to a tide of grief and anger--a surge of emotional momentum that galvanized the civil rights movement and ensured the passage of the1964 Civil Rights Act. She was a member of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham which was, due to the spacious basement auditorium, the center for meetings of the civil rights movement. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Civil Rights Figure. The 17-year-old charged in the incident, which also left a person wounded by an AR-15 assault-style rifle, has claimed self-defense. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Steve Chiotakis (Chee-uh-TAKE-iss) reports from member station W-B-H-M. You by your suffering have paid another installment in this great thing called freedom," said the Rev. On May 22, 2002, Cherry was convicted and sentenced to life, bringing a long-awaited victory to the friends and families of the four young victims. At 10:19 AM the bomb exploded, blowing a hole in the east side of the church, shattered windows, walls, and doors and injuring or killing 24 people. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Addie Mae, 14, and Denise, 11, were preparing to sing in the church choir. Alabama, U.S., Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974, U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Learn more about merges. From left to right: Denise McNair, 11; Carole Robertson, 14; Addie Mae Collins, 14; and Cynthia Wesley, 14. Check out how leafcutter ants work in spectacular close-up video, Weird science and tech are bringing magick back, Look into the empty eyes of an ancient, giant fish, Start your musical journey with the Populele Smart Ukulele, now only $159.99, Enjoy a new vantage view of your computer with this portable 15.6-inch OLED screen, now only $396, This beautifully refurbished MacBook Pro is a great price for a limited time, Terms Four girls, Addie Mae Collins (age 14), Denise McNair (age 11), Carole Robertson (age 14), and Cynthia Wesley (age 14), were killed in the bomb blast. In 2013, the United States Congress awarded each girl the Congressional Gold Medal. The bomb detonated at 10:19 a.m., killing Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Addie Mae Collinsall 14 years oldand 11-year-old Denise McNair. It wasn't until 1977 that anyone was charged, at which time a Klan leader was convicted for the murders. Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama, USA. Noting that no timing device was found, he disputed the . An eyewitness saw four white men plant the bomb. Addie Mae Collins was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on April 18, 1949. It was Youth Sunday at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. ", 16th Street Baptist pastor John Cross said the bomber "did not only bomb the 16th Street Baptist Church, did not only kill these lovely, innocent girls, but somehow the world was shaken. Learn more about merges. English cemeteries found in Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. It didnt matter what race they were. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Carole Robertson, 14, was a high-achieving student who played the clarinet, sang in elementary school choirs and was a member of her high schools marching band. Later that day, 13-year-old Virgil Ware, riding on the handlebars of a bicycle in Docena, was shot by two young white men. What did Charles Morgan mean when he said, We all did it every person in this community who has in any way contributed to the popularity of hatred is at least as guilty as the demented fool who threw that bomb? Members of the Ku Klux Klan planted a box of dynamite at the church, which was a major organizing center for the black community and civil rights protests. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Two other perpetratorsThomas Blanton Jr. and Bobby Frank Cherrywere convicted in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Prosecutions in the killings of Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Morris Wesley and Carole Robertson were delayed by the reluctance of witnesses and a dearth of physical evidence. Birmingham "is synonymous to barbarism" and "needs to be protected against itself," said New York City Mayor Robert Wagner. The Birmingham News reported it was the 41st bombing in the city in the past 16 years. The 16th Street Church, frequently used as a meeting place for leaders including .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph D. Abernathy, was an obvious target for this activity. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. When the debris was searched for survivors, the bodies of four young girls were found: Cynthia Wesley, Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, and Carole Robertson. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Service. Grief will not prevail. Another 22 people were injured in the explosion. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. As director of theCivil Rights Memorial Center, also operated by the SPLC, I honor the girls spirits every day by making sure that the world never forgets their names names that should be remembered just like those of other unarmed Black people who have been killed recently, includingGeorge Floyd,Breonna Taylor,Tony McDade,Sean Reed,Yassin Mohamed,Ahmaud Arbery,Rayshard Brooksand too many more. Gov. And this isn't just an old story from Victorian times. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Addie Mae's sister) The Collins family appears in the 1997 Spike Lee film 4 Little Girls, a documentary on the bombing and its political significance. Only a few feet away, beneath a stone staircase along the outside wall of the church, a dynamite bomb had been planted eight hours earlier. You can always change this later in your Account settings. This photo shows President Kennedy's visit to Redstone Arsenal on Sept. 11, 1962. Failed to report flower. Birmingham, Alabama: Graveside services at Woodlawn cemetery as body of Cynthia Dianne Wesley was buried . Verify and try again. But it's worth noting, as we think about racism and the way it tends to work in America today that is, as entrenched systems and socially supported biases, rather than as intentional expressions of overt hatred that there are still some big disparities in which people end up as med school cadavers and organ donors. CIVIL RIGHTS MARTYRSHE DIED SO FREEDOM MIGHT LIVE, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Try again later. The Sixteenth Street bombing, perhaps more than any other event of the period, brought national attention to the evil of racism. She was buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Birmingham, but her body has been. Boing Boing uses cookies and analytics trackers, and is supported by advertising, merchandise (Tom Self/ Birmingham News), A newspaper clipping shows police officers in the immediate aftermath of the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., Sunday, Sept. 15, 1963. On Sept. 15, 1963, four Black girls, Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley and Denise McNair, were killed in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, after a . Martin Luther King Jr. said he hoped the deaths "may well serve as the redemptive force that brings light to this dark city.". Addie Mae Collins was 14 when she became one of the civil rights movement's most lamented victims. George Wallacefor creating the toxic climate that led to the church bombing. On Sunday, September 15, 1963, Ku Klux Klan members bombed the Church. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. People everywhere died.". In Birmingham, attorney Charles Morgan, Jr. spoke before the Birmingham Young Men's Business Club, identifying the people responsible for the attack. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Try again later. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Original caption: NEWS FILE/TOM SELF A stained glass window bears testament to a bomb's damage; Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, September 15, 1963. Please try again later. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. On the morning of Sunday, September 15, 1963, 14-year-old Collins was in the church basement room with a group of other children. Fred Shuttlesworth. "The answer should be, "We all did it." Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Photo by AP Images. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? They marched with Martin Luther King Jr. through overpowering water hoses and vicious dogs. Images of this reality led to reform of the segregation laws, including in schools and at lunch counters. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, and Cynthia Wesley were then interred during joint funeral attended by over 8,000 mourners. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. The Coelacanth species of fish has been READ THE REST, We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, & Cynthia Wesley, Includes text, author, text categories, vocabulary terms, text dependent questions with answers, Includes text, author, vocabulary terms, text dependent questions. This decision was later reversed. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Collins' murder remained officially unsolved until the 1970s. 0 cemeteries found in Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama, USA. Astrological Sign: Aries. There was an error deleting this problem. The whole world had watched in awe as the children in Birmingham made history. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Although a subsequent FBI investigation identified three other menBobby Frank Cherry, Herman Cash and Thomas E. Blanton, Jr.as having helped Chambliss commit the crime, it was later revealed that FBI chairman J. Edgar Hoover blocked their prosecution and shut down the investigation without filing charges in 1968. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6433296/cynthia-dionne-wesley. There was a problem getting your location. What isn't well known is the fact that one of those girls, Addie Mae Collins, may well have been a victim of racism after her death, thanks to a longstanding tradition where white medical schools raided black cemeteries for dissection cadavers. C.E. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Three men responsible for Collins' murder were brought to justice between 1977 and 2002. Original caption: Alabama-Birmingham-bombings-Body removed from 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. Taft was born into a politically active family; his father had served as President Ulysses S. Grants secretary of war. No one else has ever been tried for the Sixteenth Street bombing. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6433252/addie-mae-collins. license except where otherwise noted. Carole Robertson was a good student who loved reading and dancing. By read more, On September 15, 1978, boxer Muhammad Ali defeats Leon Spinks at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans to win the world heavyweight boxing title for the third time in his career, the first fighter ever to do so. of Alvin and Alpha Robertson, parents of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing victim Carole Robertson at the funeral for their daughter; Sept. 17, 1963. As Birmingham took on the appearance of a battle zone, with hundreds of police, troopers and guardsmen patrolling the streets, another black teen, Johnny Robinson, was shot to death by police.