16th Street Church Bombing


	16^th Street Baptist Church Bombing Birmingham, Alabama By John On September 15, 1963 the Baptist church on 16^th Street in Birmingham, Alabama was bombed. Four girls had been killed in the bombing and about 22 others had been injured by the blast of the bomb. The girls were Denise McNair (age 11), Addie Mae Collins (age 14), Carole Robertson (age 14) and Cynthia Wesley (age 14). The bomb was placed under the steps by the girls’ bathroom. The church was a meeting location of civil rights leaders. The church after the explosion. After the bombing, black people rioted the streets of the city and local officials fought back violently. Firefighters were forced to use water hoses to stop the rioters. Police used the dogs to stop them and they shot bullets into the air which hit and killed two other people. This bombing was an act of racism by the KKK splinter group the Cahaba Boys. Robert Chambliss was accused of placing the bomb under the steps of the Baptist church. Later three other men had been accused of helping Robert Chambliss bomb the church. The three men were Herman Cash, Thomas Blanton and Bobby Cherry. Herman had died but the two others had been tried and convicted.
References: All of my information and picture came from http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/m_r/randall/birmingham.htm http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1431932 http://www.useekufind.com/peace/summary.htm http://kasamaproject.org/2008/01/21/mlk-the-birmingham-bombing-of-1963/

16^th Street Baptist Church Bombing
Birmingham, Alabama
By John

On September 15, 1963 the Baptist church on 16^th Street in Birmingham, Alabama was bombed. Four girls had been killed in the bombing and about 22 others had been injured by the blast of the bomb. The girls were Denise McNair (age 11), Addie Mae Collins (age 14), Carole Robertson (age 14) and Cynthia Wesley (age 14). The bomb was placed under the steps by the girls’ bathroom. The church was a meeting location of civil rights leaders.

The church after the explosion.

After the bombing, black people rioted the streets of the city and local officials fought back violently. Firefighters were forced to use water hoses to stop the rioters. Police used the dogs to stop them and they shot bullets into the air which hit and killed two other people.

This bombing was an act of racism by the KKK splinter group the Cahaba Boys. Robert Chambliss was accused of placing the bomb under the steps of the Baptist church. Later three other men had been accused of helping Robert Chambliss bomb the church. The three men were Herman Cash, Thomas Blanton and Bobby Cherry. Herman had died but the two others had been tried and convicted.

References:

All of my information and picture came from http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/m_r/randall/birmingham.htm

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1431932

http://www.useekufind.com/peace/summary.htm

http://kasamaproject.org/2008/01/21/mlk-the-birmingham-bombing-of-1963/

This page was last updated on: Thursday, January 19, 2012