Freedom Week- Birmingham Remembers

"On Sunday morning, September 15, 1963, the Ku Klux Klan bombed the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four girls. This murderous act shocked the nation and galvanized the civil rights movement." nps.gov

Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley

Birmingham did a remarkable job remembering the events that so famously put our city on the historical map during the Civil Rights Movement. For the whole month of September, Birmingham held various events, speeches, concerts, and art installments to celebrate our '50 Years Forward'. London and I stopped by Railroad Park to see a bit of what they were doing and we had such a nice afternoon talking to people about the history of our city and how these different groups of people were bringing honor to very hard-to-swallow past.

An local elementary school made 15,000 origami birds in memory of the children who were killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. They hung them from the rafters at the RR Park pavillion. London and I laid back and watched the birds sway silently for a long while. My soul was quieted as I watched and thought of these four girls. It was a very innocent, touching tribute for lives of little girls lost. 

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One big stage. One tiny performer. One happy audience member. One great show. 

My heart was turned over how lucky I am to have a daughter to hold and love and laugh with. She was looking out over the train tracks, turned around, reached out her hand, and said, 'Mommy, come and see the whole world with me.'

With a lump in my throat that I couldn't clear, my heart whispered, "yes, baby girl. Let's do that."

Thank you, gracious God, for daughters.