A New Door Opens at 16th Street
October 8, 2026
On September 15, 1963, five girls were in the basement of 16th Street Baptist Church, preparing for youth day services. In an instant, a bomb planted by Klan members changed everything - claiming the lives of four and leaving one, Sarah Collins-Rudolph, to carry the memory forward.
Sixty-three years to the day, Birmingham opened a new chapter. The Education and Visitor Center at 16th Street Baptist Church welcomed its first visitors, with Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and one of America's most celebrated public interest lawyers, offering the sermon at a memorial service honoring the four girls.
"People from every race, gender came out today to bear witness," said Dr. Terrence Brown, Executive Director of the Education and Visitor Center. "That means there are a lot of people who stand with this idea of remembrance. Now, we just have to move from remembrance to action."
The Center is now open to visitors. We encourage every Birmingham resident to go, reflect, and carry that call to action into the world.
The Center is located at 1512 6th Ave N, Birmingham, AL 35203.
