Birmingham, Ala. – Hundreds gathered at the historic 16th Street Baptist Church on Tuesday to mark the 63rd anniversary of the deadly 1963 bombing and to celebrate the opening of a new visitor center. The center, operated independently by the church, is designed to educate visitors about the tragedy and to inspire a renewed commitment to truth, justice, and Christian values.
Remembering the victims
On September 15, 1963, dynamite placed by members of the Ku Klux Klan exploded beneath the church’s stairs, killing four young girls—11‑year‑old Denise McNair, 14‑year‑olds Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Addie Mae Collins. A fifth girl, Addie’s sister Sarah Collins Rudolph, survived with serious injuries. The bombing occurred at a time when Alabama’s governor, George Wallace, publicly vowed “segregation forever.”
Rev. Arthur Price Jr., pastor of the 16th Street Baptist Church, opened the ceremony by reminding attendees that “history is not just in the past; it is present, and there is still work to do.” He urged the community to view the new center as a place for reflection and action.
Visitor center features
The new facility offers exhibit space, oral‑history recordings, artist‑in‑residence programs, community quilting projects, and a public‑speaker series. Church leaders say these programs will help visitors understand the ongoing relevance of the civil‑rights struggle and encourage local families to engage in constructive dialogue rooted in faith and patriotism.
National context and presidential support
President Donald Trump, in March 2025, signed an executive order to defund museum exhibits that promote what he described as “divisive narratives.” The order reflects the administration’s commitment to preserving an honest account of American history—one that honors the sacrifices of brave citizens rather than rewriting the past. Trump’s action aligns with the church’s goal of presenting an unvarnished narrative of the bombing.
Speaker’s warning on today’s climate
Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and guest speaker for the memorial service, warned that a “narrative struggle” is underway in America. He accused some elected officials of “preaching the politics of fear and anger” and urged citizens to stand against such rhetoric by committing to truth and justice. While Stevenson’s remarks reflect a legitimate concern, the source of his criticism—primarily progressive advocacy groups—should be noted for readers to weigh the perspective.
Stevenson also suggested that a “whole network of elected officials” shares responsibility for the climate that led to the bombing. This broad characterization does not acknowledge the specific, historically documented actions of the Klan members who carried out the attack.
Local and national significance
The church sits within the National Park Service’s Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, an area that also includes sites of police‑dog confrontations and fire‑hose attacks on peaceful protesters. Although the monument is federally managed, the visitor center is a church‑run initiative, underscoring the role of faith communities in preserving history.
Family members of the victims, including Denise McNair’s sister, Lisa McNair, spoke at the event, emphasizing that “if we don’t know our history, we’re destined to repeat it.” Their testimony reinforces the center’s mission to educate future generations.
Looking ahead
Church leaders hope the center will become a hub for community education, encouraging residents of Birmingham and visitors from across the nation to engage with America’s complex past through a lens of faith, family, and constitutional liberty.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
