At left is Clara Pippen, mother of the two women. (Tom Self/ Birmingham News), A newspaper clipping shows police officers in the immediate aftermath of the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., Sunday, Sept. 15, 1963. He means they may not have physically planted the bomb, but by contributing in other small or large ways to the racist and hatred-filled climate in that city, they, too, should be considered guilty for harming those girls. No one can know with certainty who took the body or why, but many are convinced that her body joined the untold thousands of anonymous black cadavers on anatomists' tables. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. Ministers homes, a black-owned hotel, and other churches had been wrecked. Sorry! A day after the tragedy, President Kennedy spoke of his "outrage" and "grief" at the Birmingham church bombing. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Fifteen sticks of dynamite were planted in the church basement, underneath what turned out to be the girls restroom. Tragically, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, two men protesting the police shooting of Jacob Blake were shot to death in late August by a gunman who joined with a contingent of militia to conduct armed patrols during the protests. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? GREAT NEWS! But there had been nothing so evil as the dynamiting of children during Sunday School.. The missing body of Addie Mae Collins, one of the four Birmingham girls. The whole church shook. When they tried exhume her body, somebody else was buried beneath her headstone. You can always change this later in your Account settings. Her body was not in the spot where it was presumed to be. The North Vietnamese forces had launched a massive offensive, called the Nguyen Hue or Easter Offensive, on March 31, with three main read more, William Howard Taft is born in Cincinnati, Ohio on September 15, 1857. Learn more about merges. Denise McNair performed in plays, dance routines and poetry readings to raise money for muscular dystrophy research. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. The Birmingham News. I'm shot," he told his brother James with his dying breath. Because of this, they were a major target for segregationist attacks. On Sept. 15, 1963, four Black girls, Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley and Denise McNair, were killed in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, after a . Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. So it should come as no surprise that weve seen this dangerous and inherently violent ideology once again become part of themainstream political realm. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Civil rights leader the Rev. The Sixteenth Street bombing, perhaps more than any other event of the period, brought national attention to the evil of racism. The family had had plans to move her body because Greenwood Cemetary had become run down and was a playground for vandals. Read the rules you agree to by using this website in our Terms Addie Mae Collins was a 14-year-old murder victim whose 1963 death focused public attention on racial violence in the South. Thirty-five years ago a bomb killed four little girls in a Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Try again later. Blanton was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Addie Mae was buried at Birmingham's Greenwood Cemetery. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. On Sunday, September 15, 1963, Ku Klux Klan members bombed the Church. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. This crime marked a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. It wasn't until 1977 that anyone was charged, at which time a Klan leader was convicted for the murders. When the debris was searched for survivors, the bodies of the four young girls were found: ; Cynthia Wesley, Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, and Carole Robertson. In the moments just before the murders, the girls chatted nervously and straightened their fancy white dresses in preparation for Youth Day. Both READ THE REST, In this video, Atlas Obscura digs out an ancient, giant fish from the archives of the Wet Specimen Collection at Chicago's Field Museum. For a few minutes, there was only screaming and chaos. A memorial statue to Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley the four girls killed in the attack now stands in Kelly Ingram Park, across from the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. 0 cemeteries found in Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama, USA. Sorry! They were nervous and anxious for the event to begin. Photo by Pictorial Parade/Getty Images. "When they had exhumed her, the person in the casket had false teeth, dentures. Why did the author include the details about the girls chatting nervously, straightening their fancy white dresses and participating in the choir and as ushers? Despite an FBI investigation, however, no one was immediately charged with the crime. Family members linked to this person will appear here. At 10:19 AM the bomb exploded, blowing a hole in the east side of the church, shattering windows, walls, and doors and injuring or killing 24 people. Original caption: The damaged interior of the church is shown in the immediate aftermath of the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., Sunday, Sept. 15, 1963. In 1997 a documentary film on the bombing called "4 Little Girls" was released. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Failed to delete memorial. In 1992, nearly 30 years after the bombing, the Collins family decided to move Addie Mae's remains to Elmwood Cemetery. This is a carousel with slides. sales At about 10:22 AM, twenty-six children were entering the basement assembly room for closing prayers, five girls were apparently changing into their choir robes. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Four girls, Addie Mae Collins (age 14), Denise McNair (age 11), Carole Robertson (age 14), and Cynthia Wesley (age 14), were killed in the bomb blast. Fred Shuttlesworth, left, and Ralph Abernathy as they attend funeral services at the Sixth Avenue Baptist Church for three of the four Black girls killed in the church bombing. Baxley obtained FBI files containing substantive information, including the names of suspects, which had been withheld by J. Edgar Hoover in the 1960s. Original caption: Alabama-Birmingham-bombings-Body being removed at 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. Original caption: Juanita Jones, center, comforts her sister, Maxine McNair, whose daughter Denise McNair died earlier that day in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing. But it's worth noting, as we think about racism and the way it tends to work in America today that is, as entrenched systems and socially supported biases, rather than as intentional expressions of overt hatred that there are still some big disparities in which people end up as med school cadavers and organ donors. The tale, and how it connects to racism both historical and modern, haunted me all day yesterday. Try again. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. "This bombing of children was a dastardly act.". At 10:22, it exploded. You can always change this later in your Account settings. A box of dynamite with a timer was placed under the front steps steps of the church, near the basement, and was set to go off during Sunday prayers. This photo shows President Kennedy's visit to Redstone Arsenal on Sept. 11, 1962. In Birmingham, attorney Charles Morgan, Jr. spoke before the Birmingham Young Men's Business Club, identifying the people responsible for the attack. Saturday was the 55th anniversary of the bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. The Collins family appears in the 1997 Spike Lee film 4 Little Girls, a documentary on the bombing and its political significance. Carole and Cynthia both 14 were going to be ushers. Oops, something didn't work. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. On September 15, 1963, Collins and three other African-American girls were killed in a terrorist attack perpetrated by members of the Ku Klux Klan. Cynthia Wesley was raised by a single mother but stayed with her adoptive parents so she could attend a better school, where she excelled in math, reading and band. Failed to remove flower. Now, as our nation confronts multiple assaults on democratic values, we hold firm in the fight to protectand to expanddemocracy through social justice education. Ten months later, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Indeed, this tragic event may cause the white South to come to terms with its conscience.. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. The lives of all four girls intertwined and tragically ended at 10:21 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15, 1963,when a bomb planted by Klansmen outside the ladies lounge at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham exploded, instantly killing them and injuring 20 others. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. The Birmingham News reported it was the 41st bombing in the city in the past 16 years. In 1997 a documentary film on the bombing called "4 Little Girls" was released. This year, relatives of Addie Mae Collins, one of the girls that was killed, wanted to move her body to another burial site and found that it wasn't there. That spring, their own church had been the center of a campaign against segregation. Drag images here or select from your computer for Addie Mae Collins memorial. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. When the debris was searched for survivors, the bodies of four young girls were found: Cynthia Wesley, Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, and Carole Robertson. Addie Mae Collins was 14 when she became one of the civil rights movement's most lamented victims. Resend Activation Email. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. To this day, the location of Addie Mae's body remains a mystery. This is different from intentionally seeking out the bodies of black people because you think they're less human or that their consent matters less, Washington writes. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. That part of the story is pretty well-known. Addie Mae Collins was one of the four Black girls, murdered in a racially motivated terrorist attack perpetrated by members. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? That morning twenty-six children were in the church's basement assembly room preparing for the service when the bomb exploded. Copyright 1998 NPR. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Plaster and debris fell around the people in Sunday School upstairs. Three Ku Klux Klan members were later . SPLC is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization (EIN: 63-0598743), Local Policing and Immigration Enforcement, Request for Legal Assistance Economic Justice, plays, dance routines and poetry readings, good student who loved reading and dancing. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Cynthia Dionne Wesley I found on Findagrave.com. ). Original caption: Alabama-Birmingham-bombings-Body removed from 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. Now he spoke quietly to a crowd of 8,000 at a joint funeral for three of the bomb victims. Failed to report flower. The bombing occurred days after black students began attending Birmingham city schools. In addition to the four fatalities, more than 20 people were injured. Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, & Cynthia Wesley, Includes text, author, text categories, vocabulary terms, text dependent questions with answers, Includes text, author, vocabulary terms, text dependent questions. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. C.E. Trivia (1) In 1998, it was revealed to the horror of the Collins family that her grave was empty. Astrological Sign: Aries. "Such heinous acts have added to the already heavy burden of fighting for the right of people to govern themselves," the statement read. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Victims (from left): Denise McNair, 11; Carole Robertson, 14; Addie Mae Collins, 14; and Cynthia Wesley, 14, are shown in these 1963 photos. Alabama, U.S., Deaths and Burials Index, 1881-1974, U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current, Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. ", 16th Street Baptist pastor John Cross said the bomber "did not only bomb the 16th Street Baptist Church, did not only kill these lovely, innocent girls, but somehow the world was shaken. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. In the end, more than 20 people were hospitalized with injuries. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Learn more about managing a memorial . Fred Shuttlesworth officiated instead. Highlighted vocabulary will appear in both printed versions. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. The Life Summary of Addie Mae. Birmingham, Alabama: Graveside services at Woodlawn cemetery as body of Cynthia Dianne Wesley was buried . She was a member of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham which was, due to the spacious basement auditorium, the center for meetings of the civil rights movement. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Who will be eaten first? The bomb collapsed a basement wall, killing Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson - all 14 - and Denise McNair, 11, in a lounge they used for changing into their choir robes. The murders touched off nationwide outrage. Condoleezza Rice,who would later become U.S. secretary of state,was among her elementary school friends. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. She was the first adopted daughter of Claude and Gertrude Wesley, both of whom were teachers. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. On May 22, 2002, Cherry was convicted and sentenced to life, bringing a long-awaited victory to the friends and families of the four young victims. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Prosecutions in the killings of Denise McNair, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Morris Wesley and Carole Robertson were delayed by the reluctance of witnesses and a dearth of physical evidence. The first sentence illustrates the girls as any other girls their age. Shortly after the church bombing, white supremacist leader Connie Lynch told a group of Klansmen that those responsible for the bombing deserved medals. Lynch said the four young girls who died there werent children. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. There was a problem getting your location. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Every last one of us is condemned for that crime and the bombing before it and a decade ago. All rights reserved. As Birmingham took on the appearance of a battle zone, with hundreds of police, troopers and guardsmen patrolling the streets, another black teen, Johnny Robinson, was shot to death by police. Search above to list available cemeteries. Gangs of black and white youths battled in the street, and businesses went up in flames. One. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. 31 October 1884-1 October 1953 (Age 68) Texas, United States. From left to right: Denise McNair, 11; Carole Robertson, 14; Addie Mae Collins, 14; and Cynthia Wesley, 14. Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders used as a meeting place, training ground and rallying point for the Birmingham Childrens Crusade and other direct actions for civil rights. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Those disparities stem from laws that allow for medical schools to take possession of bodies of the homeless (who are more likely to be black than white) and "presumed consent" laws, which allow hospitals and coroners to assume that a dead person would want to donate their body parts. As part of the movement, African American churches served as its spiritual backbone and were used as meeting places for the black community. Select the Teacher Version to print the text with labels, Text Dependent Questions and answers. Despite the outrage and an FBI investigation, however, no one was charged with the crime. Addie Mae was helping Denise tie the sash on her dress. The second sentence shows that the girls were involved in their church and contributing to this important service. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Grief will not prevail. Though Cash died in 1994, Cherry and Blanton were arrested and charged with four counts of murder in 2000. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Soon afterward, the read more, Nikita Khrushchev becomes the first Soviet head of state to visit the United States. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Your irresponsible and misguided actions have created in Birmingham and Alabama the atmosphere that has induced continued violence and now murder. A few days before the bombing, Wallace had said the nation needed a few first class funerals to resolve its race issues. She also participated in Saturday dance lessons and the science club. You by your suffering have paid another installment in this great thing called freedom," said the Rev. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Death Year: 1963, Death date: September 15, 1963, Death State: Alabama, Death City: Birmingham, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Addie Mae Collins Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/crime/addie-mae-collins, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: September 4, 2019, Original Published Date: April 3, 2014. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Prior to the bombing, how had the children in Birmingham made history? Taft was born into a politically active family; his father had served as President Ulysses S. Grants secretary of war. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. The youth choir would lead the congregation in music, and children would serve as ushers. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. On Sunday morning, September 15, 1963, several members of the KKK tunneled under the church and planted 122 sticks of dynamite near what was the girls' basement rest room. Try again later. To counter this hate, we must all work vigilantly together against white supremacy to bring the hope, equity and inclusion that will lead to true justice for all.