Birmingham Church Bombings

At 10:22 a.m. on September 15th around 200 church members were in the building, many were attending Sunday school classes. 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. Most of the people in the church were able to evacute, but the bodies of four young girls were found beneath the rubble in the basement. Another girl who was in the basement lost her right eye, and more than 20 other people were injured in the blast.

Aftermath

The bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church on September 15 was the third bombing in 11 days, after a federal court order had come down mandating the integration of Alabama’s school system. Thousands of angry African Americans protesters gathered at the church. Violence broke out and two African American men were killed (one by the police).

Lasting Impact

The effect of the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church was immediate and significant. This bombing led to the passage of both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Birmingham Church Bombing: 1963

September 15, 1963

Citations

Video:

http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/birmingham-church-bombinghttp://www.cnn.com/2013/06/13/us/1963-birmingham-church-bombing-fast-facts/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE7IfRIIXdk

Outside of Birmingham Church

Fireman looking at the inside of the church after the bomb

Other side of Birmingham Church