![]() Victims’ siblings remember on bombing anniversary But historians contend the church bombing marked a turning point in the civil rights movement and contributed to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.Ĭarole made sure her chores were done so she could go to dance class on Saturdays, while Cynthia excelled in math and band. The Klan hoped the attacks would derail the movement as the marches had wrung concessions from local leaders and the state had begun integrating schools days before the bombing. ![]() The Klan targeted the church because it was a leading African American institution and served as a staging area for the marches that met fierce resistance from Birmingham Public Safety Commissioner Bull Connor, brutality that has lived on in television footage and defines the city for many people to this day. “The preliminary autopsy results found no evidence of trauma or foul play, but did reveal the decedent had significant natural disease consistent with his known documented medical history,” Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates said in a statement. “Let us never forget that Sunday morning in September of 1963 and the four young ladies whose lives ended far too soon, but let us continue taking steps forward to heal, do better and honor those who sacrificed everything for Alabama and our nation to be a home of opportunity for all.”īlanton was 82 when he died after going into cardiac arrest Friday at William Donaldson Correctional Facility, according to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office. “Although his passing will never fully take away the pain or restore the loss of life, I pray on behalf of the loved ones of all involved that our entire state can continue taking steps forward to create a better Alabama for future generations,” Ivey said. “That was a dark day that will never be forgotten in both Alabama’s history and that of our nation. “His role in the hateful act on Septemstole the lives of four innocent girls and injured many others,” Ivey said in a statement. The bomb collapsed a basement wall, killing Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson – all 14 – and Denise McNair, 11, in a lounge they used for changing into their choir robes.īlanton – one of three former KKK members convicted of murdering the girls – died of natural causes Friday while serving a life sentence, according to a statement released by Alabama Gov. APġ963 Birmingham Church Bombing Fast Facts Three former Ku Klux Klan members were later convicted of murder. Blanton belongs in prison, Henley said at the news conference.From left, 11-year-old Denise McNair and 14-year-olds Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins and Cynthia Wesley were killed. ![]() The blast was “the loudest thing I ever heard,” and it shook the ground like a small earthquake. Harvey Henley, 79, recalled being at home a few miles from the church the morning the bomb went off. Klansman Robert Chambliss, known as “Dynamite Bob,” was convicted in 1977 and also died behind bars. ![]() Cherry was convicted in 2002 and died in prison. He and Bobby Frank Cherry were indicted in 2000 after the FBI reopened an investigation into the case, and jurors convicted Blanton the following year. READ MORE: KKK sees opportunity to rise again amid Donald Trump’s divisive rhetoricīlanton, who has denied involvement in the bombing, is among three one-time Klansmen convicted years after the explosion. 6-year-old flying alone for Christmas put on wrong plane, family outraged.states bar Trump from the 2024 ballot, will any rulings stick? Stowaway somehow survives -50 C flight in plane’s landing gear.Dentist sued for performing 4 root canals, 8 crowns, 20 fillings in one day.
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