September 1963
Events
- September 15, 196316th Street Baptist Church Bombing Kills Four Girls
KKK members planted dynamite under the steps of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four girls: Addie Mae Collins (14), Cynthia Wesley (14), Carole Robertson (14), and Carol Denise McNair (11). Twenty-two others were injured. The church had served as a civil rights organizing hub.
- September 15, 1963Birmingham Police Kill Two Black Youth in Bombing Aftermath
On the same day as the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, Birmingham police shot and killed 16-year-old Johnny Robinson, who was fleeing. Separately, white teenagers shot and killed 13-year-old Virgil Ware on his bicycle. No white perpetrators faced serious charges.
- September 15, 1963Birmingham Police Kill Two Black Youth on Bombing Day
On the same day as the church bombing, Birmingham police shot and killed 16-year-old Johnny Robinson who was fleeing. White teenagers also shot and killed 13-year-old Virgil Ware on his bicycle. No white perpetrators faced serious charges.
- September 15, 1963The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing
Klan members kill four girls in Birmingham, a crime that hardens national resolve.