16th Street Baptist Church marks 50th anniversary of bombing

BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) - Hundreds of people, both black and white, filled the 16th Street Baptist?Church?Sunday morning to remember the?bombing by the Ku Klux Klan 50 years ago this morning.? The blast killed four little girls:? Denise McNair, 11, Carole Robertson, 14, Addie Mae Collins, 14, and Cynthia Dianne Wesley, 14.

The Rev. Arthur Price taught the same Sunday school lesson that students heard the morning of the bombing: "A Love That Forgives."

Hundreds attended the church service Sunday morning to remember the lives lost 50 years ago.? Congregation members and visitors sang the old hymn "Love Lifted Me" and joined hands in prayer at Birmingham's 16th Street Baptist Church.

A dynamite bomb went off outside the church Sept. 15, 1963, killing four girls and injured a fifth, Sarah Collins Rudolph.? She lost her right eye in the bombing and remembers being hit by glass in the chest.?

Klansmen were convicted in the bombing years later, and one remains in prison.

Attorney General Eric Holder and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are among those in Birmingham Sunday to mark the 50th anniversary of a Ku Klux Klan bombing that killed four girls at the 16th Street Baptist Church.

The Justice Department says both are scheduled to speak at the University of Alabama at Birmingham early this afternoon, then will attend the church's memorial service at 3p. They will be joined by Gov. Robert Bentley, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell and Birmingham Mayor William Bell.

A sculpture honoring the four girls was unveiled Saturday in Birmingham.

Sunday, Sept. 15:

Noon Premiere of 4 Little Girls documentary hosted by Spike Lee at the Alabama Theatre

3 p.m. Commemorative program for the 50th anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing at the church

3 p.m. - 6 p.m. Birmingham Originals' Taste of Birmingham Food Festival on First Avenue South

5 p.m. - 7 p.m. The Power Hour with Rod Parsley and Pastor Greg Matthews at Kelly Ingram Park

6:30 p.m. American Idols Concert with Taylor Hicks and guests at Railroad Park

8 p.m. Alabama Symphony, Red Mountain Theatre Company and other in concert at Railroad Park

9 p.m. Closing ceremony with fireworks show at Railroad Park

For more information on the 50 Years Forward effort, please visit http://www.50yearsforward.com/events/.

To learn more about the worship events Sunday at 16th Street Baptist Church, please visit http://www.16thstreetbaptist.org/.

Several streets will also be closed during these events:

6th Avenue North between 15th Street North and 17th Street North

15th Street North between 5th Avenue North and 6th Avenue North

16th Street North between 4th Avenue North and 6th Avenue North

17th Street North between 5th Avenue North and 6th Avenue North

These streets will re-open at 6 a.m. Monday, Sept. 16.

You can follow @myfoxal on Twitter for live updates from the service and today's events.

Fox6 will air?a special report tonight at 5p on the 50 Years Forward events.

Source: http://www.waff.com/story/23435604/16th-street-baptist-church-marks-50th-anniversary-of-bombing

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