In 1963, events at the 16th Street Baptist Church provided the world with a graphic illustration of racism in the American South. As leaders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)brought the fight for civil rights to Birmingham, the 16th Street Church, as well as the children of city, ensured the movement's success.

Following his 1963 arrest, during a protest march originating at the 16th Street Baptist Church, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote his famous essay, "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."

SCLC leaders quickly enlisted eager students from local schools, and organized marches comprised of thousands of black children.

Students gathered at the 16th Street Baptist Church, and launched what came to be known as the "Children's Crusade." Birmingham police arrested thousands, used fire hoses and dogs to terrorize the protesting children, some were only nine years old.

Television viewers worldwide witnessed events unfolding in Birmingham. The unobstructed view of southern racism provided a surge of national support for the movement.

Tragedy struck on Sunday, September 15, 1963, when the Klu Klux Klan bombed the church just before services began. Sadly, the explosion took the lives of four young girls. Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Addie Mae Collins became martyrs for the nonviolent revolution.

Delivering their eulogies, Dr. King expressed hope that the devastating episode might cause the white south to "come to terms with its conscience."

The pivotal events at the 16th Street Baptist Church galvanized the nation against southern segregation, and directly influenced the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Text written by Kimberly Messer,

Graduate Student, University of West Florida

Edited by Cynthia Catellier University of West Florida Department of Public History