BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (Sept. 15, 2026) — Sixty-three years after the tragic bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church claimed the precious young lives of Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley, the historic church is creating a new way for future generations to honor that history and carry its lessons forward.
Today, the church commemorated the 63rd anniversary of the 1963 bombing through its annual memorial service and officially opened the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Education & Visitor Center, a new space dedicated to remembrance, reflection and re-engagement. Together, the observance and Center opening mark a new chapter in the church’s ongoing mission and ministry to connect the lessons of the past with the responsibilities of the present and future.
“September 15 is not simply a date we remember; it is a sacred moment that calls us to remember four precious lives, reflect upon the price of hatred and injustice, and re-engage with the work of building a more just and beloved community,” said Rev. Arthur Price Jr., pastor of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. “The story of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church is not frozen in the past. It is a living story of faith, courage, sacrifice and hope.”
The morning began with the church’s memorial service, honoring the lives of the four little girls killed in the bombing. The service featured a memorial address by Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, alongside reflections from church leaders, civil rights advocates and community partners.
While the memorial remembered the lives lost and the history that unfolded at Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, church leaders say the Center is designed to transform remembrance into meaningful engagement with the issues that continue to shape communities today.
“The Education & Visitor Center stands at the intersection of history, reflection and recommitment. These three paths on their own are powerful,” said Dr. Terrence Brown, executive director of the Education & Visitor Center. “However, the three combined with a renewed sense of commitment to making the world a better place is the panacea from the apothecary of life that can unite us all.”
Located adjacent to the historic sanctuary, the Center will provide visitors with opportunities for reflection, remembrance and re-engagement through immersive experiences, oral history initiatives, artist residencies, community quilting projects, public speaker series and other programs that invite deeper engagement with the history and enduring relevance of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church and the broader Birmingham Civil Rights District.
In addition, the Center will feature local restaurant Koinonia, reflecting the belief that fellowship, connection and understanding are often nurtured around a shared table. More than a dining space, Koinonia is intended to be a gathering place where visitors can break bread, engage in meaningful conversation and build the kinds of relationships that strengthen community and foster reconciliation.
Among the Center’s signature exhibits is The River Wall, a permanent immersive installation inspired by the iconic stained-glass window gifted to Sixteenth Street Baptist Church by the people of Wales following the 1963 bombing. Designed to evolve over time, the exhibit invites visitors to reflect on their experience and make personal commitments inspired by the values of faith, justice and reconciliation.
“At the end of the day, the Education & Visitor Center is designed to demonstrate the power of faith and how that faith provided the fuel for those who came before us to be courageous,” said Dr. Brown.
The Center opening featured live choral performances inspired by the church’s Civil Rights and freedom song traditions, quilting focused on social justice themes, and public tours of the new facility.
“As we dedicate our Education & Visitor Center, we are creating more than a place to remember what happened here—we are creating a place where people can encounter the truth, wrestle with its meaning and discover their responsibility to the future,” said Rev. Price. “We remember so that we might reflect. We reflect so that we might reengage. And we re-engage because there is still work for us to do.”
Church leaders envision the Education & Visitor Center as a resource for generations to come, helping ensure the stories of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church and the Birmingham Civil Rights District remain part of an ongoing conversation about faith, justice, remembrance and civic responsibility.
To learn more about the Education & Visitor Center, please visit https://Sixteenthstreetevcenter.com/.
About Sixteenth Street Baptist Church
Founded in 1873, Sixteenth Street Baptist Church is a historic congregation in Birmingham, Alabama, whose story is inseparable from the struggle for civil rights, racial justice and human dignity in America. The Church served as an organizational and staging ground for the youth-led marches of the 1963 Birmingham Campaign. On September 15, 1963, a bombing at the Church killed four young girls—Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley—transforming Sixteenth Street Baptist Church into a sacred place of remembrance and a symbol of the continuing struggle for freedom and justice. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006, the Church welcomes visitors from around the world and continues its ministry at the intersection of faith, history and social responsibility. Through worship, education, preservation, public engagement and the new Education & Visitor Center, Sixteenth Street Baptist Church carries forward its enduring mission to remember the past, reflect on its meaning, and re-engage generations in the ongoing work of building a more just and beloved community.
