Remembering the Four Little Girls Lost in the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing

Remembering the Four Little Girls Lost in the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing

Today, September 15, we pause to remember the four innocent lives tragically taken 62 years ago in the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama.

Carol Denise McNair, just 12 years old, and Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins, and Cynthia Wesley, each 14, were killed in an act of racially motivated terror that shook the nation and became a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement.

Their deaths remind us of the profound loss inflicted by hatred and intolerance—but also of the courage and resilience of those who continue to fight for justice, equality, and human dignity.

As we honor Carol, Carole, Addie Mae, and Cynthia today, we recommit to remembering their lives, telling their stories, and working to build a world free from the violence and prejudice that ended their young lives.