16th Street Baptist Church opens visitor center on bombing anniversary

On Sept. 15, 2026, Birmingham's 16th Street Baptist Church marked the 63rd anniversary of the 1963 bombing by opening a new Education and Visitor Center with oral histories and immersive exhibits. Hundreds attended memorial events for Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, all 14, and Denise McNair, 11. Sarah Collins Rudolph, McNair's sister, survived the attack but was severely injured. A third bomber, Robert Chambliss, was convicted in 1977. Former Sen. and gubernatorial candidate Doug Jones held a town hall at Parker High School, chosen for its link to the 1963 Children's Crusade. Jones, who prosecuted Thomas Blanton and Bobby Frank Cherry decades after the bombing, said the day offered a chance to recommit to what the girls died for, citing Birmingham's progress while stating that many rights remain under threat. Attendee Meredith Davis said people in Birmingham must vote in every election or risk losing their voice, and that children dying in church was hard to fathom. Peter Davis invoked a civil rights leader's line that everything has changed but nothing has changed and said the same evil sentiment requires continued work on mindset. Jones's opponent, U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, issued a statement calling the murders pure evil and a reminder of unchecked hatred. Jones scheduled another town hall in Mobile. What is contested: Sources in the record do not disagree on the core facts.