61 Years Ago Today Four Young African American Girls Were Killed When the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham Alabama was Bombed

[NewsVine_Mariyam]

First, their names (from top left clockwise):

1. Addie Mae Collins age 14
2. Cynthia Wesley age 14
3. Carole Robertson age 14
4. Carol Denise McNair age 11

The reason this is important is because even though the perpetrators were known to law enforcement, and were white supremacists, they got to live out of 44 years of their lives before they faced any consequences for their hateful actions:

​

The delay in making arrests following the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963, which resulted in the tragic deaths of four African American girls, was influenced by several factors:​

1. Institutional Racism and the Climate of Segregation: The bombing occurred in the context of the Civil Rights Movement, during a period when Birmingham was deeply segregated and law enforcement, particularly the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover, was known to have strong racial biases. Local law enforcement often did not prioritize cases involving violence against African Americans, and in some cases, law enforcement officers themselves were sympathetic to or even involved with white supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan.
2. FBI's Initial Reluctance to Act: The FBI had identified suspects shortly after the bombing, including known Klansmen like Robert Chambliss. However, Hoover was reportedly reluctant to pursue the case aggressively, partially due to fears of exposing FBI informants within the Klan. Although Hoover allowed the FBI to gather evidence, it was not until much later that any charges were brought.
3. Lack of Local Cooperation: Birmingham's police department was infiltrated by individuals with Klan ties, further complicating efforts to pursue justice. Eugene "Bull" Connor, Birmingham’s Commissioner of Public Safety, was an ardent segregationist who opposed civil rights activism. The local authorities did not cooperate effectively with investigations, which delayed meaningful action.
4. Cold War Politics and National Attention: During the 1960s, the U.S. government was highly concerned about its international image, particularly in the context of the Cold War. The Civil Rights Movement and the violent reactions it provoked were covered worldwide, and the federal government sometimes intervened reluctantly when violence against African Americans threatened the U.S.'s international standing. This dynamic created tension between federal and local authorities, with local officials resisting federal involvement.
5. Reopened Investigations: It was not until the 1970s that Alabama Attorney General Bill Baxley reopened the case, eventually securing the conviction of Robert Chambliss in 1977. The case was reopened again in the 1990s, leading to additional convictions of Thomas Blanton in 2001 and Bobby Frank Cherry in 2002. These prosecutions were based on evidence collected decades earlier but not acted upon.

Ultimately, the long delay in arrests and convictions was a result of systemic racism, ineffective investigations, and a lack of political will to hold the perpetrators accountable.

16th Street Baptist Church bombing - Wikipedia
How Doug Jones Brought KKK Church Bombers to Justice | HISTORY​

Birmingham Church Bombing ‑ Alabama, Civil Rights Movement, Victims | HISTORY​

16th Street Baptist Church bombing | History & Four Girls

https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/baptist-street-church-bombing​

​

Then along came Alabama Attorney General William Baxley who infuriated the Klan by reopening the case. Infamous white supremacist leader Edward R. Fields, the Grand Dragon of the New Order Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, made their displeasure known in a scathing letter.

We would like to congratulate you, you are now and honorary ******. We hope that you are proud of yourself now, you WHITE ******. We hope you are soon blessed with the same condition that the ****** lover Kennedy contracted, which is dead……. a long time dead…

to which AG Baxter responded with this

 

[BackAgain]

The official AG reply was terrific.

 

[1srelluc]

The official AG reply was terrific.

Nuts!

 

[1srelluc]

I was eight at the time so no shits given.....That and all the principle dems involved in their deaths are long dead, so again, no shits given.

 

[MarathonMike]

Bad stuff happened a long time ago, yes we know. We just had the second assassination attempt on Donald Trump TODAY do you have any thoughts on that?

 

[BackAgain]

Nuts!

Along those lines!

 

[RoshawnMarkwees]

I predicted who the thread OP would be as soon as I saw the thread title.
Black racists just can’t stop being black.

 

[NewsVine_Mariyam]

I was eight at the time so no shits given.....That and all the principle dems involved in their deaths are long dead, so again, no shits given.

This isn't just American history, or African American history. It's blood lines unfortunately.