Alabama mourned on the 60th Anniversary of the 1963 Birmingham Church Bombing that took the lives of four innocent Black girls. On Friday, September 15, a remembrance was held at the 16th Street Baptist Church to stand in solidarity with those still affected by the tragedy that occurred during the Civil Rights Movement.
The first Black woman Supreme Court Justice, Kentanji Brown Jackson, gave a moving keynote address at the remembrance. A wreath was laid by the sister of one of the four victims in the same spot where the dynamite that caused the explosion was placed outside of the church walls. One of the victim’s sisters, Lisa McNair also requested that other Birmingham churches toll their bells on Friday morning to mark the moment that the dynamite exploded back in 1963.
She told media outlets that it was important for people to reflect on what happened on the 60th Anniversary, and also try to think about how they can keep it from ever happening again.
“People killed my sister just because of the color of her skin. Don’t look at this anniversary as just another day. But what are we each going to do as an individual to try to make sure that this doesn’t happen again,” McNair said, NBC News reported.
