Birmingham prepares to commemorate 60th anniversary of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing

Published On: 08.03.23 |

By: Alabama News Center Staff

The bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in 1963 killed four little girls and helped galvanize the civil rights movement. (Birmingham Public Library)

The city of Birmingham is joining with multiple partners to commemorate in September the 60th anniversary of the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church, which killed four little girls, shocked the world and sparked federal policymakers to move forward on civil rights legislation.

From Sept. 10 through Sept. 16, the city will host the 2023 Forging Justice Commemoration Week. Among the planned events are a series of discussions with national thought leaders; a conference on healing; art interpretations; a film screening; visits by international dignitaries and a keynote address by Associate U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Jackson.

“In the aftermath of that fateful day on September 15, 1963, our city and our nation had to take a hard look at itself and reckon with the devasting effects of hate and racism,” Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin said in a news release. “Today, in the spirit of the four little girls, we work to be better and honor them by preserving our history and building a future worthy of their sacrifice.”

The Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, today. (contributed)

Throughout this year, the city, area churches, arts organizations, businesses and nonprofits have commemorated the 1963 Birmingham civil and human rights movement. Alabama News Center has also been marking the anniversary with “Bending Toward Justice,” an ongoing series of stories and videos about that year in Birmingham.

Here is the lineup for the 2023 Forging Justice Commemoration Week:

Also, ongoing through Sept. 15 – Through His Eye: The Photography of Chris McNair – an exhibition at City Hall that highlights the work of the late photographer Chris McNair, displaying images he captured during the civil rights movement, including one of his late daughter Denise, who was killed in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing. The exhibit is on the second floor of City Hall, 710 20th St. North. Visitors can view the collection Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sept. 15. For details, click here.

And taking place Sept. 24, don’t miss the Four Little Girls play. As part of the Human Rights New Works Festival, the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church joins Red Mountain Theatre for a reading of Christina Ham’s “Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963.” The one-act play brings joy, life and music to the story of Denise, Carole, Cynthia and Addie Mae, innocent children living in a divided country. Shows are at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Red Mountain Theatre Arts Campus, 1600 Third Ave. South. Buy tickets at redmountaintheatre.org.

For updates about the 2023 Forging Justice Commemoration Week, visit birminghamal.gov/forgingjustice.