I was a child when the news of this atrocity broke. I remember crying and my mother trying to sooth me -- I had no idea what was going on, just that four children died. I am furious about it, 60 years later.... I do not believe in God, but I hope I am wrong so that the bombers may rot in hell for eternity.
Yes, it was a horror. I was a child too. After a short talk with someone speaking to us in class I remember being sent home where we were more frightened….. for a very long time.
Thank you for remembering this tragic event and using it to remind us all that we still live in a society and a country that makes room for and tolerates hatred and racial bias. Until we no longer tolerate or make room for bias, hatred, and rage we will continue to be an imperfect nation impoverished by racial and ethnic intolerance. We are capable of being so much more but fall so short of our potential.
I was a junior in high school when this happened. We lived in the Florida panhandle, sometimes referred to as "Alabama with a beach." My family sometimes felt like an island surrounded by a sea of racism. The Civil Rights movement was a passion for us, and we revered Martin Luther King Jr. The following summer the Civil Rights Act was passed as we were driving on vacation up to the New York Worlds Fair. The news came over the radio and my brother and I in the back seat were literally jumping up and down with joy.
We should remember that there was a fifth little girl in that church that day, and although severely injured, she survived. Unlike othere victims of racist and terroristic violence, she was never awarded reparations for the grievous harm she suffered. Perhaps this group can start a petition to remedy this injustice. Her name is Sarah Collins Rudolph.
Perhaps the government and the state of Alabama ‘should’ give this woman her due. But it’s been a long time. I’m going to paraphrase MLK: ‘ wait almost always means never.’
I will contribute to a GoFundMe. In my view, she is never going to see a dime from any government entity.
A GoFundMe was set up on September 7, 2023. Sarah lost sight in one eye, suffers from PTSD, carries emotional and physical scars, and has continuing medical treatment. (I made a tiny donation).
It’s not likely that the US government or Alabama government will pony up a single dime.
"return", Lynn unfortunately the hate and racism have never left. That hate Southerners have been pass down from generation to generation, unless one is brave enough to break the cycle in the family. This, I believe, is why education is so important.
Thanks Marilyn. I do believe we have made some progress, in spite of efforts by people who want power to limit educating our children... so learners can see for themselves how alike we all are, right down to our DNA... how interrelated all life is... how nestled we are in our own little culture... how nested we are on one planet in the harshness of space... how ignorant prejudice is.
Thank you! I remember this heartbreaking event. I was a child who moved to the south from the northwest. My brother had a black 1st grade teacher, who was much beloved. When I was placed in segregated schools, Ruby Bridges being escorted to school by marshals and girls killed in a church bathroom, there is nothing that could explain away the confusion and anxiety I felt. Thank you for remembering. Thank you Ketanji Brown Jackson for speaking. I was five. I remember Huntley and Brinkley and Walter Cronkite covering these stories. I am sorry that the killings continue but glad that these children are remembered.
My father grew up in North Carolina and ran away and joined the Army because his family would not let him see his best friend, who was black. He taught us about the racism and hatred, about the separate fountains, etc. I was in the U. S. Navy in the 60s and was station in various places in the South and saw and felt what my father taught us firsthand. My partner and I went cross-country for 3 months in 1993 (30 years later and after the Civil Rights Act) and we experience the bigotry then, two lesbians, one being Jewish (me, mother's side) this was 1993 and it didn't occur to me to take off my Star of David and I just happened to be a soft-butch woman. We felt it, experienced it and saw it, and my partner (from Alaska) said it made her skin crawl, but she was also sad because she could not only feel the hate of some white folks, but she also felt the black people seems to disengage and retreat from us white women.
Yes, Joyce, justice was served but it should never, ever take this long or as long as our courts let things drag out especially for the rich and powerful. These four little girls only 'crime' to Southerners was the color of their skin. Those men intended to kill black folks that day and they didn't care that it was four little children and no one else care either or the cowards would have come forward and I know you know that there were plenty of white folks who knew who the murders were.
My father used to talk about the Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains and the beauty of the South, but he only went back once in all his years in CA. I didn't meet most of my Southern relatives, by father use to say they weren't worth meeting. Sad yes, but my father, like many people today who leave family behind because they are Trump loving, left behind not just his family, but hate and I have been thankful for his lessons as a child all my life.
I grew up in NC in a small town. My parents were both Holocaust victims. Blacks knew “their place”. Isn’t that a disgusting statement? I experienced seeing the KKK and I remember how frightening that was. I, too, vividly recall the bombing. Those bastards bragged about what they did, until they were caught.
It’s so wonderful that our Biden elected Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson will be speaking at the Church on the eve of Rosh Hashanah. L’ Shana Tovah everyone!
I have more hope for our children's future as I watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy most week day nights. My grandkids see PEOPLE happily playing together on TV, all equally respected, all equally able to win, all equally happy to be together, with MCs who respect and enjoy and celebrate the individuals whatever their color or sexual orientation or occupation or religion or style.
That media attitude and demonstration of acceptance can make a big difference in our society. When I was a maternal child health nurse in the NHSC in Appalachia, I started a comprehensive program to convince pregnant women to breastfeed their babies. I had movies about it in the waiting room, provided a private place to breastfeed, listed all the advantages ("lose weight quicker!"), assured them they could call me any time of the day or night if they had problems nursing. Our numbers did increase some. Then, all of a sudden, ALL my pregnant clients were asking about how to breastfeed a baby! Wow! I was so proud of myself! Until I overheard one mom-to-be in the waiting room talking with great concern to another mom-to-be about how on TV"s "All My Children," Susan's kidnapped baby was gonna die if they couldn't find him in time because he was so allergic to every formula and needed his mother's breastmilk to live!
NBC and HGTV and all the rest could play a significant role in stopping the hate and violence in our country.
Every year, we are determined not to forget the terrorism that was brought to our country at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the field in Pennsylvania on 9/11. In my view, a more insidious terrorism exists to this day within our own borders. Americans killing other Americans because of race, religion, gender identity or political persuasion continues to stain our very existence. We must face this squarely and resolve that, in the United States of America, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are for all our citizens.
There is some relief to see these men finally convicted. Sadly, justice will never come for the many more thousands of victims of racism, lynching and slavery in the nation's history. The only atonement we can offer is to eradicate the ignorant bigotry that motivates such violence.
Beautifully detailed account of the horrific events that took the lives of four beautiful young ladies. “Justice delayed but not denied”, is an important reminder to not give up hope. Thanks Joyce.
Thank you, Joyce. My granddaughter and her class visited the church today (14th) to learn about the event, and before the pandemic. I was privileged to hear Doug Jones and others speak at Temple Beth-El Birmingham about their efforts It was awful to read in the newspaper today that the 4th little girl, who survived,, has received nothing like the kinds of reparations that other victims of terrorists have been given. I'm going to take a wild guess that racism has something to do with that.
Today I stood on the steps of Temple Beth El with others as the shofar was sounded 6 times; 4 for the little girls, 2 for the boys. Church bells sounding faintly in the background. A very moving experience, especially since I am old enough to remember the bombing when it happened.
I was 10 and I don’t remember but only the assassination of JFK a few months later. But I will stand silent at 10:22 AM in remembrance of these sweet little girls. They were deprived of a long life.
Joyce, I remember hearing about the bombing on the evening news with my family. We had one TV and probably saw the devastating news on the national news with Walter Cronkite or Chet Huntley & David Brinkley. It is imperative that we do not forget and we must educate the younger generations. What an amazing time with Justice speaking at the Church on Friday.
In 1960 my middle daughter had been born 4 months before. I remember well my horror and disgust. I am still glad I chose to become American, but I have never been able to understand or accept more than 500 years of bigotry and racism.
I was a child when the news of this atrocity broke. I remember crying and my mother trying to sooth me -- I had no idea what was going on, just that four children died. I am furious about it, 60 years later.... I do not believe in God, but I hope I am wrong so that the bombers may rot in hell for eternity.
Yes, it was a horror. I was a child too. After a short talk with someone speaking to us in class I remember being sent home where we were more frightened….. for a very long time.
Thank you for remembering this tragic event and using it to remind us all that we still live in a society and a country that makes room for and tolerates hatred and racial bias. Until we no longer tolerate or make room for bias, hatred, and rage we will continue to be an imperfect nation impoverished by racial and ethnic intolerance. We are capable of being so much more but fall so short of our potential.
I was a junior in high school when this happened. We lived in the Florida panhandle, sometimes referred to as "Alabama with a beach." My family sometimes felt like an island surrounded by a sea of racism. The Civil Rights movement was a passion for us, and we revered Martin Luther King Jr. The following summer the Civil Rights Act was passed as we were driving on vacation up to the New York Worlds Fair. The news came over the radio and my brother and I in the back seat were literally jumping up and down with joy.
We should remember that there was a fifth little girl in that church that day, and although severely injured, she survived. Unlike othere victims of racist and terroristic violence, she was never awarded reparations for the grievous harm she suffered. Perhaps this group can start a petition to remedy this injustice. Her name is Sarah Collins Rudolph.
Thank you for mentioning in this; I heard an interview the other day with her...I was going to comment here but then I saw your post!
Charles Blow wrote about an interview with her in the NYT Sept 13. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/13/opinion/birmingham-sarah-collins-rudolph.html?unlocked_article_code=S44pCoXuHtxRtuU1AjDlLnwweVdOi-ejSjm8Z_Ym3s0y1kK5CeMZEHWuEEYQ4ucBj4FzpP_OAuK5uOuzLOUP1f0K7yI3pbYYRnd6eSQZ8YdFHWlMbISKVNAGy-I9xSiA_VdBYfK9p8JuEppdgH_GgSjyTwHmfwWHBK55ujYfAYdu33Bhn5xFHKVwycJmjJwlUXEYZaQ47OQRZt-XmgWxpI6oGnySJZnb4zl-MLWGxjewhVNVMLZHgkdIYJpLrGbRywQVg8wQ_O8IbSrkYJgCxoaNyfPl54TYEU7IckAnaH69fuDWLWZNzv-WC3lTgPWmw64rDibGEdYpsv4HyWE3dl62JbwL_8s372c&smid=url-share
Is there a GoFundMe or something for Sarah Rudolph?
https://gofund.me/1b6cfe10
here's the link to the GoFundMe fund. They have reached some $30 thousand - with a goal of $200,000.
Thank you
I understand why you might suggest this, but really it is the government and the state of Alabama that should give this woman her due.
Perhaps the government and the state of Alabama ‘should’ give this woman her due. But it’s been a long time. I’m going to paraphrase MLK: ‘ wait almost always means never.’
I will contribute to a GoFundMe. In my view, she is never going to see a dime from any government entity.
I agree. Do you think Alabama will do it?
A GoFundMe was set up on September 7, 2023. Sarah lost sight in one eye, suffers from PTSD, carries emotional and physical scars, and has continuing medical treatment. (I made a tiny donation).
It’s not likely that the US government or Alabama government will pony up a single dime.
Thank you.
" We cannot give into hate and racism. We cannot let those dark days return." Yes, we are in this together. Thanks Joyce.
"return", Lynn unfortunately the hate and racism have never left. That hate Southerners have been pass down from generation to generation, unless one is brave enough to break the cycle in the family. This, I believe, is why education is so important.
Thanks Marilyn. I do believe we have made some progress, in spite of efforts by people who want power to limit educating our children... so learners can see for themselves how alike we all are, right down to our DNA... how interrelated all life is... how nestled we are in our own little culture... how nested we are on one planet in the harshness of space... how ignorant prejudice is.
Love this Lynn Geri💛
Thank you! I remember this heartbreaking event. I was a child who moved to the south from the northwest. My brother had a black 1st grade teacher, who was much beloved. When I was placed in segregated schools, Ruby Bridges being escorted to school by marshals and girls killed in a church bathroom, there is nothing that could explain away the confusion and anxiety I felt. Thank you for remembering. Thank you Ketanji Brown Jackson for speaking. I was five. I remember Huntley and Brinkley and Walter Cronkite covering these stories. I am sorry that the killings continue but glad that these children are remembered.
My father grew up in North Carolina and ran away and joined the Army because his family would not let him see his best friend, who was black. He taught us about the racism and hatred, about the separate fountains, etc. I was in the U. S. Navy in the 60s and was station in various places in the South and saw and felt what my father taught us firsthand. My partner and I went cross-country for 3 months in 1993 (30 years later and after the Civil Rights Act) and we experience the bigotry then, two lesbians, one being Jewish (me, mother's side) this was 1993 and it didn't occur to me to take off my Star of David and I just happened to be a soft-butch woman. We felt it, experienced it and saw it, and my partner (from Alaska) said it made her skin crawl, but she was also sad because she could not only feel the hate of some white folks, but she also felt the black people seems to disengage and retreat from us white women.
Yes, Joyce, justice was served but it should never, ever take this long or as long as our courts let things drag out especially for the rich and powerful. These four little girls only 'crime' to Southerners was the color of their skin. Those men intended to kill black folks that day and they didn't care that it was four little children and no one else care either or the cowards would have come forward and I know you know that there were plenty of white folks who knew who the murders were.
My father used to talk about the Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains and the beauty of the South, but he only went back once in all his years in CA. I didn't meet most of my Southern relatives, by father use to say they weren't worth meeting. Sad yes, but my father, like many people today who leave family behind because they are Trump loving, left behind not just his family, but hate and I have been thankful for his lessons as a child all my life.
I grew up in NC in a small town. My parents were both Holocaust victims. Blacks knew “their place”. Isn’t that a disgusting statement? I experienced seeing the KKK and I remember how frightening that was. I, too, vividly recall the bombing. Those bastards bragged about what they did, until they were caught.
It’s so wonderful that our Biden elected Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson will be speaking at the Church on the eve of Rosh Hashanah. L’ Shana Tovah everyone!
Joyce, may you and your family have a peaceful and joyful Rosh Hashanah.
Thank you, for all your poignancy, and all the care your dad shared with you by leaving all those sad folks & their hate behind.
I have more hope for our children's future as I watch Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy most week day nights. My grandkids see PEOPLE happily playing together on TV, all equally respected, all equally able to win, all equally happy to be together, with MCs who respect and enjoy and celebrate the individuals whatever their color or sexual orientation or occupation or religion or style.
That media attitude and demonstration of acceptance can make a big difference in our society. When I was a maternal child health nurse in the NHSC in Appalachia, I started a comprehensive program to convince pregnant women to breastfeed their babies. I had movies about it in the waiting room, provided a private place to breastfeed, listed all the advantages ("lose weight quicker!"), assured them they could call me any time of the day or night if they had problems nursing. Our numbers did increase some. Then, all of a sudden, ALL my pregnant clients were asking about how to breastfeed a baby! Wow! I was so proud of myself! Until I overheard one mom-to-be in the waiting room talking with great concern to another mom-to-be about how on TV"s "All My Children," Susan's kidnapped baby was gonna die if they couldn't find him in time because he was so allergic to every formula and needed his mother's breastmilk to live!
NBC and HGTV and all the rest could play a significant role in stopping the hate and violence in our country.
Indeed, but that isn't the kind of education I hoped for, but I'll take it.
Agreed, but ‘The Wheel’ producers have lost me with their choice to be the new host. Seacrest is an ‘empty suit’, a vacuous entity!
Oh No!
Every year, we are determined not to forget the terrorism that was brought to our country at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the field in Pennsylvania on 9/11. In my view, a more insidious terrorism exists to this day within our own borders. Americans killing other Americans because of race, religion, gender identity or political persuasion continues to stain our very existence. We must face this squarely and resolve that, in the United States of America, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are for all our citizens.
There is some relief to see these men finally convicted. Sadly, justice will never come for the many more thousands of victims of racism, lynching and slavery in the nation's history. The only atonement we can offer is to eradicate the ignorant bigotry that motivates such violence.
Beautifully detailed account of the horrific events that took the lives of four beautiful young ladies. “Justice delayed but not denied”, is an important reminder to not give up hope. Thanks Joyce.
And thank you to Doug Jones//a hero for sure.
Thank you, Joyce. My granddaughter and her class visited the church today (14th) to learn about the event, and before the pandemic. I was privileged to hear Doug Jones and others speak at Temple Beth-El Birmingham about their efforts It was awful to read in the newspaper today that the 4th little girl, who survived,, has received nothing like the kinds of reparations that other victims of terrorists have been given. I'm going to take a wild guess that racism has something to do with that.
Today I stood on the steps of Temple Beth El with others as the shofar was sounded 6 times; 4 for the little girls, 2 for the boys. Church bells sounding faintly in the background. A very moving experience, especially since I am old enough to remember the bombing when it happened.
Thank you for the reminder. Things have changed, but there is still long way to go. A very long way.
I was 10 and I don’t remember but only the assassination of JFK a few months later. But I will stand silent at 10:22 AM in remembrance of these sweet little girls. They were deprived of a long life.
10:22 as I read this. Thank You Bill. Standing.
Joyce, I remember hearing about the bombing on the evening news with my family. We had one TV and probably saw the devastating news on the national news with Walter Cronkite or Chet Huntley & David Brinkley. It is imperative that we do not forget and we must educate the younger generations. What an amazing time with Justice speaking at the Church on Friday.
In 1960 my middle daughter had been born 4 months before. I remember well my horror and disgust. I am still glad I chose to become American, but I have never been able to understand or accept more than 500 years of bigotry and racism.
Sadly, for all of us “woke” you are absolutely right!