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16th Street Baptist Church

The iconic 16th Street Baptist Church's neon sign at dusk. The church is located in Birmingham, Alabama's historic civil rights district. On January 1...
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The iconic 16th Street Baptist Church's neon sign at dusk. The church is located in Birmingham, Alabama's historic civil rights district. On January 12, 2017, President Obama designated the district a national monument. It was tranquil when I took this photo in 2014, but not on September 15, 1963, when a bomb killed four little girls attending Sunday school (Addie Mae Collins, age 14; Carol Denise McNair, age 11; Carole Robertson, age 14; and Cynthia Wesley, age 14) and injured 14 others. The church was officially designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006.
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Birmingham, Alabama, US

upload_date

Sep, 2016

Views

1228

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+71

Awards

Contest Finalist in Picturing Negative Space Photo Contest

Peer Award

+12

Superb Composition

Top Choice

Outstanding Creativity

Absolute Masterpiece

All Star

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Categories

City

I remember. Great capture.

Thank you. I think it is important to remember.

One of the most iconic structures from the Birmingham of old. I know things haven't improved much outside of the confines of this city that was once the epicenter of hate. This image (a gorgeous representation of the Blue Period) is powerful and simultaneously tame. The rebirth of Birmingham is underway and we are lucky to have this church that stands across the street from the Civil Rights Museum across the street from the park. Great capture and thank you for sharing it!

Thank you, Jason. As I walked around the church and took this photo on a summer evening, I felt a rush of emotions, from sadness and shame, to hope and reconciliation. It stands as a reminder of the past, how far we've come, and how far we have to go.