Historical significance

Birmingham Alabama — Statues of the 4 girls– Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Carole Roberston and Cynthia Wesley– at Kelly Ingram Park in front of 16th Street Baptist Church. (Pat Byington/ Bham Now)

On September 15, 1963, Birmingham—and the world—were rocked by the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church by members of the KKK that killed four little girls attending Sunday school.

Now one of the most well-known civil rights-era sites in the United States, the church has since served as a host for civil rights meetings, rallies and human rights movements.

Hard work toward preservation

church 16th Street Baptist Church featured in New York Times — Members of the community gather to dedicate the newly restored 16th Street Baptist Church parsonage. (Sabrina Palmer/ Bham Now)

Since 1963, many efforts have been made toward the renovation and preservation of the church.

In 2017, the church received grants from both the National Trust for the Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and from the federal government, which established it as part of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument. The proclamation by President Obama included a $500,000 grant toward church rehabilitation efforts.

16th Street arched stained glass window from interior 2 16th Street Baptist Church featured in New York Times — The first black church in Birmingham. (16th Street Baptist Church)

The year 2023 will mark 60 years since 1963– a pivotal year for Civil Rights–in which several historically significant events took place in Birmingham including:

Martin Luther King Jr. writing “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
Bombing of the A.G. Gaston Motel and the home of the Reverend A.D. King
Children’s Crusade in which hundreds of black children were arrested for protesting
Bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church

Birmingham remembers

According to the Birmingham City Council, the City of Birmingham– in partnership with area churches, arts organizations, activists, businesses and nonprofits– will honor the challenges, lessons and triumphs of the 1963 Birmingham civil and human rights movement during the entire year of 2023.

“The eyes of the world were on Birmingham in 1963 while a battle was waged for the equal rights of all of its residents. We plan to spend 2023 remembering and reflecting on the people and events that helped to break down segregation not only in Birmingham, but in our country.”
Mayor Randall L. Woodfin

Other historical sites mentioned

mitchelville2 16th Street Baptist Church featured in New York Times — Community history events held at Mitchelville Freedom Park in Hilton Head, South Carolina. (Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park on Facebook)

The New York Times piece chronicled 7 additional sites of civil rights significance that were also grantees of the National Trust for the Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. The other sites mentioned include: