Taylor Bembery
Staff Writer
Jackson State University students and faculty were present at the 16th Street Baptist Church on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013 exactly 50 years after the bomb went off and claimed the lives of four girls and injured 22 people.
Approximately 50 JSU students and faculty joined hundreds of people gathered around the church at 10:22 a.m. to witness the NAACP Wreath Laying Ceremony.
During the ceremony, a bell rang four times to remember Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley, who lost their lives when a bomb was detonated in an act of racially motivated terrorism.
In the place where stairs once led to the side of the church, now lays a memorial plaque in the ground which reads: Sunday, September 15, 1963 10:22 am (Names from Left to Right) Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley. Each name has the picture of a single stemmed bud rose underneath it and includes an engraved scripture below of Genesis 50:20.
Sarah Collins Rudolph, the younger sister of Addie Mae Collins, also known as “The Fifth Girl,” was present at the ceremony. Sarah was 12-years-old at the time and was in the bathroom when the bomb went off. She survived, losing vision in her eye and injuries from the shattered stained glass windows.
“I would want everybody to know that Addie was a peacemaker. When we were young and had sibling arguments, Addie would always say, ‘stop fighting, stop fussing, and love each other,’” said Rudolph
Rudolph stated that standing at the church 50 years later brought back many memories.
“We were excited coming to church that day because it was going to be youth day but we never did get a chance to have that day because they bombed the church. I was going to sing in the youth choir. We were really looking forward to that but we didn’t get a chance to do it,” she added.
Rudolph also shared the final moments of being with her older sister Addie.
“When we were coming to church that morning, we were having such a good time. I remember how we were playing with the purse. She had a patent leather purse and we were having so much fun throwing it around. We walked to church, so when we got there we went downstairs to freshen up. Addie’s class was upstairs but when the girls came in we talked but when they came out of the bathroom and stood before Addie, Denise asked Addie to tie the sash on her dress. I never did see her finish tying the sash because that’s when the bomb went off,” recalled Rudolph.
Rev. Jesse Jackson, an American civil rights activist and Baptist minister, also shared his thoughts on how that tragic day in Birmingham helped move the Civil Rights Movement.
“Honoring and suffering is redeemed, the blood of the innocent is powerful. If these girls had been in a violent shoot-out some other place it wouldn’t have had the same impact. The terrorists bombed a church using a timer bomb with no regard for church, Bible, God, or humanity, (this) shows how demeaning and sick they were. This event along with Medgar Evers’ assassination were big factors of stimulation as opposed to stopping the movement but it inspired us to fight harder,” said Jackson.
The wreath ceremony was then followed by a 10:45 a.m. Church Service entitled, “From Tragedy to Triumph.”
Jackson State students participating in the trip shared their thoughts on the experience and how they feel about violence against young people then and now.
“In today’s society, it’s almost impossible to prevent every single act of violence especially against young people, but when the numbers are statistically lower than before, progression is on the rise. It’s always important that we reflect back on history to compare the obstacles that others had to face to determine progress as history continues,” said Aspen Wilson, a freshman mass communications major from Memphis, Tenn.
JaLieya Brown, a freshman history major from Greenville, Miss., shared her views on the violence against youth and related it to current events
“I think that it hasn’t gotten better or worse, the method of inflicting violence has just changed. Cases like Trayvon Martin prove that the undercurrent of violence is still alive and thriving.”
Brown added: “It is very important to remember these historical moments such as ‘The 4 Little Girls’ because it shows us where we have come from and how far we still have to go. Without our history we cannot adequately prepare for our future,” said Brown.
