The Sixteenth Street Birmingham Church Bombing
The Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, was a very important icon in the history of the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960’s. This importance comes from the fact that it was the first black church, the largest church that served blacks at the time, and it provided meeting place for protesters. The church was located in the downtown area of Birmingham, Alabama. The church was founded in the year 1873.
In addition to being used to hold religious activities, Sixteenth Street Baptist was used during the Civil Rights Movement was used for other purposes to improve segregation. The blacks used it as a meeting spot where they could discuss demonstrations and rallies. For instance, thousands of people organized the children’s crusade at the church. The blacks would also talk about future things to change. Important people visited the church. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and James Bevel visited before the bombing and Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were two famous people who visited the church after the bombing.
On Sunday, September 15, 1963, the church changed forever. At 10:22 a.m. a bomb went off. It was planted in the basement by the Klu Klux Klan. It killed four little girls and destroyed the church. The church was not fully destroyed but lost a stained glass window. That window is going in the Smithsonian Museum in an exhibit that will open in 2015. Though the result was terrible, it did get them more freedom later the next year.
In addition to being used to hold religious activities, Sixteenth Street Baptist was used during the Civil Rights Movement was used for other purposes to improve segregation. The blacks used it as a meeting spot where they could discuss demonstrations and rallies. For instance, thousands of people organized the children’s crusade at the church. The blacks would also talk about future things to change. Important people visited the church. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and James Bevel visited before the bombing and Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were two famous people who visited the church after the bombing.
On Sunday, September 15, 1963, the church changed forever. At 10:22 a.m. a bomb went off. It was planted in the basement by the Klu Klux Klan. It killed four little girls and destroyed the church. The church was not fully destroyed but lost a stained glass window. That window is going in the Smithsonian Museum in an exhibit that will open in 2015. Though the result was terrible, it did get them more freedom later the next year.