Efforts to prosecute the other three men believed responsible for the bombing continued for decades. Seated left to right: Caroles sister, Dianne, and parents, Alvin Robertson Sr. and Alpha Robertson. designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated 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. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. At a funeral for three of the girls (ones family preferred a separate, private service), King addressed more than 8,000 mourners. Birmingham, Alabama: Graveside services at Woodlawn cemetery as body of Cynthia Dianne Wesley was buried . The tragedy sparked a surge of support for federal civil rights legislation, and it led to an intensive voting rights campaign in Selma, Alabama. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Although most Americans do not know her name, Addie Mae is a national icon of sorts. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. In the basement ladies lounge of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, four girls were chatting nervously and straightening their fancy white dresses. Learn more about managing a memorial . In January 1998, the sisters frowned as they surveyed the crumbling headstones, trash, and tangled weeds strangling Greenwood, the Birmingham, Alabama, cemetery in which their family had long ago laid their sister, Addie Mae Collins. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. This essay was first published in Free At Last: A History of the Civil Rights Movement and Those Who Died in the Struggle in 1989. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Two other perpetratorsThomas Blanton Jr. and Bobby Frank Cherrywere convicted in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Baxley obtained FBI files containing substantive information, including the names of suspects, which had been withheld by J. Edgar Hoover in the 1960s. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Please enter your email and password to sign in. All Rights Reserved. Thanks for your help! In the moments just before the murders, the girls chatted nervously and straightened their fancy white dresses in preparation for Youth Day. Copyright 1998 NPR. September 15, 1963 was remembered as a day of victory for the Klan. Addie Mae Collins was a 14-year-old murder victim whose 1963 death focused public attention on racial violence in the South. Although a subsequent FBI investigation identified three other menBobby Frank Cherry, Herman Cash and Thomas E. Blanton, Jr.as having helped Chambliss commit the crime, it was later revealed that FBI chairman J. Edgar Hoover blocked their prosecution and shut down the investigation without filing charges in 1968. The Life Summary of Addie Mae. Failed to report flower. Addie Mae Collins' younger sister, Sarah, had been with the four girls when the bomb exploded, but survived the attack as did the other 22 children in the basement. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Addie Mae Collins, 14, was preparing to sing in the choir for Sunday services at the 16th Street Baptist Church when a bomb took her life and that of three other girls. A former Ku Klux Klansman, Thomas Blanton Jr., 62,. Two young Black men were killed that night, one by police and another by racist thugs. 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. The Birmingham News reported it was the 41st bombing in the city in the past 16 years. "Wow. Her family says someone is responsible . They've filed suit against the funeral home, and have filed a claim against the city of Birmingham. Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, and Cynthia Wesley were interred during joint funeral attended by over 8,000 mourners. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. What did Charles Morgan mean when he said, We all did it every person in this community who has in any way contributed to the popularity of hatred is at least as guilty as the demented fool who threw that bomb? The day after the bombing, a white lawyer named Charles Morgan gave a speech in Birmingham. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. On the morning of Sunday, September 15, 1963, 14-year-old Collins was in the church basement room with a group of other children. Failed to remove flower. Now he spoke quietly to a crowd of 8,000 at a joint funeral for three of the bomb victims. We all did it. Every person in this community who has in any way contributed during the past several years to the popularity of hatred is at least as guilty, or more so, than the demented fool who threw that bomb," Morgan said. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Addie Mae Collins I found on Findagrave.com. Whether you need a laptop for READ THE REST. Original caption: Alabama-Birmingham-bombings-Body being removed at 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. The blood of four little children is on your hands, he wrote in a telegraph to Wallace. Immediately after the blast, church members wandered dazed and bloodied, covered with white powder and broken stained glass, before starting to dig in the rubble to search for survivors. Failed to delete memorial. Three men responsible for Collins' murder were brought to justice between 1977 and 2002. Today, were seeing heavily armed militia-like formations of white supremacists and other far-right extremists take to the streets to confront peaceful anti-racist marches in cities across the country. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Blanton was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. The murders sparked nationwide outrage and energized the civil rights movement. Gov. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Then people began to search through the rubble for victims. Fear and resentment of our nations growing diversity are at the heart of the hate that has been swelling across America for years. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Before this day was over, the whole world would mourn. The man at right is unidentified. Just as the deaths of the four girls in Birmingham led to public outrage and a renewed commitment to civil rights, the Black Lives Matter demonstrations against police brutality this year have ushered in a renewed sense of hope that our nation may one day find a meaningful way to address systemic anti-Black racism not only in law enforcement, but also in all of our institutions and society at large. Astrological Sign: Aries. It occurred in the context of social upheaval in the city of Birmingham, which earned the moniker "Bombingham" after a spate of terrorist activities. Try again later. The youth choir would lead the congregation in music, and children would serve as ushers. Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley, both 14, had been chosen to serve as ushers. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. The murders touched off nationwide . This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, and Cynthia Wesley were interred during joint funeral attended by over 8,000 mourners. Addie Mae was buried at Birmingham's Greenwood Cemetery. Civil rights leader the Rev. The costly raid convinced the German high command that the Luftwaffe could not achieve air supremacy over Britain, and the next read more, During the Battle of the Somme, the British launch a major offensive against the Germans, employing tanks for the first time in history. 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. 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. They had come together as a group in several stages over the previous four years, changing their name in read more, The Battle of Britain reaches its climax when the Royal Air Force (RAF) downs 56 invading German aircraft in two dogfights lasting less than an hour. A project of the Southern Poverty Law Center1991-2023. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. For more on the ceremony, please visit this story. Oops, something didn't work. Her mother and her older sister Madge also made up read more, The famous picture of Marilyn Monroe, laughing as her skirt is blown up by the blast from a subway vent, is shot on September 15, 1954 during the filming of The Seven Year Itch. People everywhere died.". At 10:22, it exploded. Cynthia Wesley, 14, was born Cynthia Morris and raised by a single mother, but she spent weekdays with adoptive parents in Birminghamto attend a better school, where she excelled in math, reading and band. Learn more about merges. 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. Thomas told those gathered "The greatest tribute you can pay to Carole is to be calm, be loving, be kind, be innocent. Rev. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. The preacher had prepared a sermon especially for the children. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Nearby buildings are left without glass in windows. Sorry! program Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Photo by AP Images. Denise McNair performed in plays, dance routines and poetry readings to raise money for muscular dystrophy research. of 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. Collins and her fellow victims became symbols of racial violence, styled as martyrs in the struggle for civil rights. Failed to report flower. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Ten months later, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Children are little people, little human beings, and that means white people. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. At left is Clara Pippen, mother of the two women. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Failed to remove flower. "This bombing of children was a dastardly act.". There had been many bombings in Birmingham designed to stop the black struggle for equality. 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. Four girlsAddie Mae Collins (age 14, born April 18, 1949), Carol Denise McNair (age 11, born November 17, 1951), Carole Rosamond Robertson (age 14, born April 24, 1949), and Cynthia Dionne Wesley (age 14, born April 30, 1949)were killed in the attack. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. A stretcher waits to carry away any more victims found. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Because of this, they were a major target for segregationist attacks. There was an error deleting this problem. The bomb detonated at 10:19 a.m., killing Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Addie Mae Collinsall 14 years oldand 11-year-old Denise McNair. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. of [29] Condoleezza Rice,who would later become U.S. secretary of state,was among her elementary school friends. Year should not be greater than current year. At least one man who says he marched with the accused gunman before the shooting was immersed in white supremacist propaganda,an SPLC investigationhas found. Born April 18, 1949 Died September 15, 1963 (14) Add to list Credits IMDbPro Archive Footage Previous 3 The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. Carole Robertson was a good student who loved reading and dancing. The family had had plans to move her body because Greenwood Cemetary had become run down and was a playground for vandals. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? 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. There is a problem with your email/password. There was a problem getting your location. They marched with Martin Luther King Jr. through overpowering water hoses and vicious dogs. Images of this reality led to reform of the segregation laws, including in schools and at lunch counters. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. Collins' murder remained officially unsolved until the 1970s. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. 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. Only a few feet away, beneath a stone staircase along the outside wall of the church, a dynamite bomb had been planted eight hours earlier. Thirty-five years ago a bomb killed four little girls in a Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.