[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 153 (Thursday, September 13, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H8174-H8175]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         55TH ANNIVERSARY OF 16TH STREET BAPTIST CHURCH BOMBING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Alabama (Ms. Sewell) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the 
55th observance of the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church in 
Birmingham, Alabama, and to commemorate the lives and legacy of four 
precious little girls--Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole 
Robertson, and Cynthia Morris Wesley--who were murdered during that 
devastating attack 55 years ago.
  On September 15, 1963, at 10:22 a.m., the four little girls were 
getting dressed in the bathroom downstairs in the church, preparing to 
sing in the church choir. The morning of the bombing, some 200 church 
members were in the building getting ready for the 11 o'clock service.
  When the bomb detonated on the church's east side, it caused the 
interior walls of the church to cave in and sent mortar and bricks 
flying from across the front of the church. Most of the parishioners 
were able to evacuate the building as it filled with smoke, but the 
bodies of four little girls were found beneath the rubble in the 
basement restroom.
  The bombing was a racially motivated act of terrorism, Madam Speaker, 
orchestrated by four suspected members of the Ku Klux Klan. As part of 
the attack, the men planted 19 sticks of dynamite outside the basement 
of the church.
  Along with the murder of the four little girls, a dozen other people 
were injured, including Sarah Collins Rudolph, the younger sister of 
Addie Mae Collins. Sarah had been in the basement with her sister and 
the other girls getting ready for church--yes, getting ready for church 
service.
  The attack would later be described by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 
as one of the most vicious and tragic crimes ever perpetrated against 
humanity.
  As the day continued, thousands of African Americans protested, 
gathering in scenes across the State. Governor Wallace, at the time, 
soon called in the police to break up the protests. Dozens of people 
were arrested, and two young Black boys were also killed that day: 
Johnnie Robinson, 16, and Virgil Ware, 13. Robinson was shot by a 
police officer, and Ware was killed by two White youths within hours of 
the bomb detonating.
  Following the attack, several people were suspected, but no one was 
immediately brought to justice. It wasn't until 14 years later, in 
1977, when then-Alabama Attorney General Bob Baxley reopened the case 
and the investigation began to make headway. Eventually, Klan leader 
Robert Chambliss was finally brought to trial and convicted of the 
murders.
  It would take another 20 years before the other Klansmen accomplices 
were brought to justice. It was then-U.S. Attorney Doug Jones who 
brought justice, leading to the convictions of Thomas Blanton and Bobby 
Cherry.
  The events that took place in Birmingham, Alabama, on September 15, 
1963, became a major catalyst for the civil rights movement. The loss 
of four young girls was not in vain for, you see, we got the passage of 
very important historic civil rights legislation because of their 
sacrifice: the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 
1965.
  Today, as we continue to seek justice and equality for all people, 
Madam Speaker, we must appreciate just how far we have come. Every gain 
in the battle for civil rights has come at a high cost, paid for by 
those who believed in a vision and a dream bigger

[[Page H8175]]

than themselves. In order to see results, we must continue to fight, 
further their legacy and their work each and every day.
  On a personal note, it is never lost on me that I get to walk the 
Halls of Congress today because four little Black girls lost their 
lives, so they can't.

                              {time}  1015

  It is humbling and inspiring to know that my very presence in this 
institution was because of the personal sacrifice of others. I was 
honored that my first bill to pass Congress was to pay tribute to Addie 
Mae Collins, to Carole, to Cynthia, and to Denise posthumously, when 
the Congress of the United States gave a Congressional Gold Medal in 
2013 on the 50th anniversary of their deaths.
  I want to thank Pastor Price and the amazing congregation of 16th 
Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, who tirelessly keep the flame and 
memory of this tragic incident alive and preserves this historic church 
for future generations.
  Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Seventh Congressional District and 
the State of Alabama, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering the 
55th observance of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing and in 
honoring the life and legacy of four little girls, Addie Mae Collins, 
Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Morris Wesley.
  The events 55 years ago shaped the future of our Nation and continues 
to have a lasting impact on our quest for equal justice and our pursuit 
for a more perfect union.

                          ____________________