16th Street Baptist Church Bombing Essay

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In the 1960s, racial violence and inequality was very prevalent in the segregated south. On September 15, 1963, the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama was bombed before the eleven o’clock church service that morning. Unfortunately, four young girls were killed by the incident and many other individuals attending the church that morning were injured. The 16th Street Baptist Church consisted of a mostly black congregation, and it was a frequent meeting place for civil rights leaders, such as Martin Luther King Jr. This incident drew attention to the struggle for civil rights for African Americans ("Birmingham Church Bombing" History.com, 2010). Prior to the bombing, many people tried acknowledge the nationwide problem of inequality facing the …show more content…
just before the 11:00 A.M. service. The bomb did detrimental damage to the church. “The bomb detonated on the church’s east side, spraying mortar and bricks from the front of the church and caving in its interior walls” ("Birmingham Church Bombing" History.com, para 5). The bomb was made by the Ku Klux Klan, and it consisted of fifteen sticks of dynamite ("1963 Birmingham Church Bombing Fast Facts.”, 2016). Over two-hundred church members were in the church when the bomb exploded. Luckily, the majority of the church members evacuated the building. Unfortunately, four girls died and many people were hurt due to the bomb. The four young girls that passed away were: Addie Mae Collins age fourteen, Denise McNair age eleven, Carol Robertson age fourteen, and Cynthia Wesley age fourteen. The girl’s bodies were found in a restroom in the basement underneath a layer of rubble and debris. Also, Addie Mae Collins’ younger sister, Sarah Collins, was severely injured in the explosion. She was in the restroom with her sister at the time of the bombing, and she lost her right eye ("Birmingham Church Bombing" History.com,
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