Four little girls – and two boys: Tragic events of the civil rights era that happened 60 years ago today. But one is mostly forgotten.
Many across the globe know about the murder of four little girls in Birmingham on Sept. 15, 1963. But there were actually six Black children killed on that day in the city. (Anniston Star)
The following is part of Alabama News Center’s ongoing series, “Bending Toward Justice,” focusing on the 60th anniversary of events that took place in Birmingham during 1963 that changed the face of the city, and the world, in the ongoing struggle for equality and human rights. The series name is a reference to a quote by Martin Luther King Jr.: “Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.” The series will continue through 2023.
Remembering the six children murdered in Birmingham on Sept. 15, 1963.
It was 60 years ago today that one of the most horrific moments of the modern civil rights era took place: the racial terrorist bombing of Birmingham’s Sixteenth Street Baptist Church that killed four little girls and injured many more. On that same day, however, there were two other Black children murdered in Birmingham. Their story is far less known.
In two videos, Alabama News Center video producer Joseph Allen takes a look back at the atrocities that took place in Birmingham on Sunday, Sept. 15, 1963.
The first video recounts the bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist and the murder of Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley – an event that shocked the world. The second video tells the story of the separate murders of Virgil Ware and Johnny Robinson – events that deserve far greater attention and recognition than they’ve received over the past 60 years.
The tragedy and legacy of the bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.
Remembering the murders of Virgil Ware and Johnny Robinson from Alabama News Center on Vimeo.
