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16th Street Baptist Church Opens Education Center for Bombing History

By Drooid · Sep 16, 2026, 2:58 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

U.S. leaders opened an education and visitor center at the 16th Street Baptist Church.
The center opened on the 63rd anniversary of the Sept. 15, 1963 bombing.
It features oral histories and exhibits about the bombing.
Rev. Arthur Price Jr. said history is present and work remains.
Dr. Terrence Brown said attendees included people of all races and genders.

History

Historical Context

On September 15 1963, the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, was bombed, killing four African-American girls and igniting nationwide outrage. The FBI, under J. Edgar Hoover, identified the Ku Klux Klan’s United Klans of America as perpetrators, later securing $1 million in civil damages against them in 1974. Today's education center, inaugurated by President Joe Biden and Rev. Arthur Price Jr., mirrors the 1963 memorial efforts that sought to confront racial violence through public remembrance. By embedding oral histories and exhibits, the site aims to prevent future hate crimes, echoing the civil-rights movement’s long-term strategy of education shaping policy.

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Story summary

U.S. leaders opened an education and visitor center at the 16th Street Baptist Church.
The center opened on the 63rd anniversary of the Sept. 15, 1963 bombing.
It features oral histories and exhibits about the bombing.
Rev. Arthur Price Jr. said history is present and work remains.
Dr. Terrence Brown said attendees included people of all races and genders.

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