Birmingham Bombing (Sixteenth Street Baptist Church)

Title:

Birmingham Bombing (Sixteenth Street Baptist Church)

Years:

1963

Description:

The bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, was one of the deadliest acts of violence to take place during the Civil Rights movement and evoked criticism and outrage from around the world. On the morning of September 15, 1963, as the congregation's children prepared for annual Youth Day celebrations, a bomb exploded in the stairwell of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church killing four girls and injuring dozens of others in the assembly. In the aftermath of the bombing, riots and violent demonstrations broke out throughout Birmingham, resulting in the death of two young African American boys. Following a tainted investigation by the FBI, Robert Chambliss, an active member of the Ku Klux Klan, was arrested and charged with murder and the possession of dynamite without a permit. Chambliss was acquitted of murder charges until 1977 when the reopening of the case resulted in his conviction, fourteen years after the bombing. In recent years, two additional conspirators, Thomas Blanton and Robert Cherry, have been tried and convicted for their roles in the church bombing. The bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, which previously served as a central meeting place and staging ground for Civil Rights activities, was intended to stall the progression of the Civil Rights movement; however, the tragedy had the opposite effect, galvanizing support and propelling the movement forward.

Archival Collections And Reference Resources:

128 items in 5 collections (expand all)

Baldy Editorial Cartoons, 1946-1982, 1997: Clifford H. Baldowski Editorial Cartoons at the Richard B. Russell Library.

Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies

(2)

--Where am I?-- What have I done?-- / Baldy, [1963 Sept. 16].

Creator:

Baldowski, Clifford H., 1917-1999

Date of Original:

1963-09-16

Collection:

Baldy Editorial Cartoons, 1946-1982, 1997: Clifford H. Baldowski Editorial Cartoons at the Richard B. Russell Library.

Contributing Institution:

Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies

Return of the prodigal fathers / Baldy, [1963 Sept. 19]

Creator:

Baldowski, Clifford H., 1917-1999

Date of Original:

1963-09-19

Collection:

Baldy Editorial Cartoons, 1946-1982, 1997: Clifford H. Baldowski Editorial Cartoons at the Richard B. Russell Library.

Contributing Institution:

Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies

FBI Freedom of Information Act Collection

United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation

(1)

Sixteenth (16th) Street Church Bombing

Creator:

United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation

Date of Original:

1972/1990

Collection:

FBI Freedom of Information Act Collection

Contributing Institution:

United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Bombing Collection

Birmingham Public Library (Ala.)

(123)

$100,000 bombing rewards set

Date of Original:

1977-10-19

Collection:

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Bombing Collection

Contributing Institution:

Birmingham Public Library (Ala.)

10 sticks of dynamite-- four dead children

Date of Original:

1963-09-16

Collection:

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Bombing Collection

Contributing Institution:

Birmingham Public Library (Ala.)

2 Negroes killed in incidents here

Date of Original:

1963-09-16

Collection:

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Bombing Collection

Contributing Institution:

Birmingham Public Library (Ala.)

20th bombing here against Negroes

Date of Original:

1963-09-16

Collection:

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Bombing Collection

Contributing Institution:

Birmingham Public Library (Ala.)

23 Negroes arrested

Date of Original:

1963-09-16

Collection:

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Bombing Collection

Contributing Institution:

Birmingham Public Library (Ala.)

63 bombing case bail hearing set

Creator:

Cornwell, Bill

Date of Original:

1977-09-28

Collection:

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Bombing Collection

Contributing Institution:

Birmingham Public Library (Ala.)

See All 123 Items

Voices of Civil Rights

Library of Congress

(1)

Congress of Racial Equality conducts march in memory of Negro youngsters killed in Birmingham bombings, All Souls Church, 16th Street, Washington, D.C.

Creator:

O'Halloran, Thomas J.

Date of Original:

1963-09-22

Collection:

Voices of Civil Rights

Contributing Institution:

Library of Congress

Working Lives Oral History Project

William Stanley Hoole Special Collections Library

(1)

Interview with Ella Pegues, 1984 August 22

Creator:

Pegues, Ella, 1903-

Date of Original:

1984-08-22

Collection:

Working Lives Oral History Project

Contributing Institution:

William Stanley Hoole Special Collections Library

Educator Resources:

1 items in 1 collections (expand all)

Teachers' Domain Civil Rights Special Collection

WGBH Educational Foundation

(1)

Burke Marshall

Date of Original:

1961/1962

Collection:

Teachers' Domain Civil Rights Special Collection

Contributing Institution:

WGBH Educational Foundation