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NewsWPLG Local 10 – Main FeedSeptember 15, 2026Miami-Dade County

16th Street Baptist Church Marks Bombing Anniversary With a New Visitor Center

Photo: WPLG Local 10 – Main Feed

Sixty-three years after a Ku Klux Klan bombing killed four girls at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, the church marked the anniversary by opening a new visitor center.

Civil RightsHistoryMemorialsBirmingham
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Why It Matters

The opening of a new visitor center at the historic church marks a physical addition to the site of the 1963 bombing for visitors and the community.

Key Facts

  • Sixty-three years have passed since a dynamite bomb planted by Ku Klux Klan members exploded at the 16th Street Baptist Church.
  • The 1963 explosion killed four girls who were preparing for Sunday services.
  • The church marked the anniversary of the bombing with the opening of a new visitor center in Birmingham, Alabama.

Who's Mentioned

PersonCynthia Wesley“One of the four girls killed in the 1963 church bombing.”Organization16th Street Baptist Church“The site of the 1963 bombing and the location of the new visitor center.”OrganizationKu Klux Klan“Perpetrators of the historical bombing”PersonBobby Frank Cherry“Ku Klux Klansman convicted in 2002 for the church bombing.”PersonLisa McNair“Sister of Denise McNair.”PersonGeorge Wallace“Former governor who pledged segregation forever prior to the 1963 bombing.”PersonAddie Mae Collins“One of the four girls killed in the 1963 church bombing.”PersonCarole Robertson“One of the four girls killed in the 1963 church bombing.”OrganizationEqual Justice Initiative“Represented by founder Bryan Stevenson, the guest speaker at the memorial servic”PersonArthur Price Jr.“Pastor of 16th Street Baptist Church.”PersonBryan Stevenson“Founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and guest speaker at the annual memorial”PersonDonald Trump“President who signed an executive order in March 2025 regarding museum exhibits.”PersonSarah Collins Rudolph“Survivor of the 1963 church bombing and sister of Addie Mae Collins.”PersonRobert Chambliss“Ku Klux Klansman convicted in 1977 for the church bombing.”locationAlabama“State where the church is located”PersonDenise McNair“One of the four girls killed in the 1963 church bombing.”OrganizationNational Park Service“Runs the civil rights monument in Birmingham adjacent to the independently opera”locationBirmingham“City in Alabama where the church is located”PersonThomas Blanton“Ku Klux Klansman convicted in 2001 for the church bombing.”