birminghamtimesalnews-blog - Tumblr blog

[birminghamtimesalnews-blog]

Say their names, so we never forget. Denise McNair DESERVED to live. AddieMae Collins DESERVED to live. Cynthia Wesley DESERVED to live. Carole Robertson DESERVED to live. 

[birminghamtimesalnews-blog]

Justice must be given for the lives and families destroyed during the bombing of a Black Baptist Church on 16th street in Birmingham, Alabama. The case was first closed out with no charges for anyone in 1968 but later reopened by attorney Bill Baxley in 1971.  The photos depicted above are the monsters who were convicted for this atrocious act of terror. From top to bottom there names are as followed, Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr., Robert Edward Chambliss, and Bobby Frank Cherry. There were allegations to a fourth White Supremacist named Herman Frank Cash (the last photo), however he passed a polygraph test that exonerated him from any charges and he got to live as a free man til he passed in 1994. Bobby F. Cherry and Thomas E Blanton, were sentenced to life in prison in 2001 in a vary public and known trial, out of the two, only Thomas E Blanton remains alive and incarcerated.Bobby died in prison in November 2004. As for Robert E Chambliss, who was the first to be prosecuted and convicted in 1977 for multiple counts of murder and sentenced to multiple life sentences died in  1985 at 81 years old, still claiming his “innocence”. These men are terrorists, and only prove my point that White extremist are the biggest threat to the United States of America. They murdered children and destroyed families and for a long time after they were free to harm and hurt more people. We, as people of this nation, need to make sure tragedies like this stop happening. 

[birminghamtimesalnews-blog]

Children protesting after the bombing of their church.

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[birminghamtimesalnews-blog]

It was a regular Sunday morning for the folk here in Birmingham Alabama on September 15th, 1963. Until a cruel attack aimed at a Black Baptist Church shook the nation, just before Sunday morning service, exactly at 10:22 a.m. an estimated of 15 sticks of dynamite blasted through the church. As our story here at the Birmingham Times developed and after various interviews of churchgoers and bystanders, we learned that this particular Sunday was Youth Sunday. The most devastating news of that tragic day, four little girls were in the basement of the church preparing their voices and getting dressed in their choir robes when the church exploded. The four girls were later discovered to be, Denise McNair (born November 17,1951 age 11), Cynthia Wesley (born April 30, 1949 age 14), AddieMae Collins (born April 18, 1949 age 14), and Carol Robertson (born April 24, 1949 age 14). All four girls were pronounced dead immediately; their bodies mutilated almost beyond recognition, one even decapitated. AddieMae’s sister Sarah, lost an eye in the attack due to fragments of glass in her eye. An interview conducted by reporter, Maya M, shows us members of the congregation looking for loved ones, and other members who found their family helping and consoling the families of the four young girls that died. Four young girls murdered and over 23 people injured including civilians driving and walking that block. The gentleman who initially called the police and ambulance stated on a report that he was at home (near the church) and felt when the explosion happened. Cars and shops near the church were also affected by the explosion, losing windows, cars destroyed, and people injured.

This attack was racially targeted and was perpetrated by four White Supremacist, members of The United Klans of America. These White extremists came to a place of worship, a place where anyone and everyone should feel safe and murdered, blinded and burned children and their families. As seen in the Birmingham Times panel interview there are White people who defend the acts of these terrorists. Many hearts broke on September 15, 1963, riots, marching, rebuilding as a community, and memorials followed this cruel attack. Things like this need to change in America. The racism needs to end, and justice for these young children needs to happen.

[birminghamtimesalnews-blog]

Photos of the 16th Street Baptist Church before and after tragedy struck.