“A bomb severely damaged a Negro church today during Sunday school services, killing four Negro girls and setting off racial rioting and other violence in which two Negro boys were shot to death.” This is the first sentence in the New York Times’ top story on September 16th,1963. The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing had an interesting reason why it happened, had a crazy aftermath, and a huge impact on the civil rights movement. What started out as a normal Sunday morning on September 15, 1963 at 16th Street Baptist Church, turned into one on the most tragic racial bombings ever. It was Kids Day at church and Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carol Denise McNair and Carole Robertson were in the bathroom in the basement when 122 sticks of dynamite were fired, killing all of them. Twenty two others were fatally injured. The four bodies were found on top of each other like they had huddled together when they first heard the explosion. The four Klu Klux Klan members that committed the crime were thought to have it done because they knew that the church was a large African American meeting place and they also thought if they terrorized the place that the blacks …show more content…
Police didn't know what to do so the National Guard and fire department came and used power hoses to spray the rioters. Police officers fired shots and killed two black boys. People calmed down when a full FBI investigation started. After the FBI caught four suspects, a trial happend with an all white jury and judge. None of the suspects were charged with murder. They were just charged for the illegal possession of dynamite and were sentenced to six months in jail and a fine. African Americans were furious, but were cheered up by Martin Luther King Jr’s speech at the funeral for three of the girls. The other girl had another private