Carole Robertson
Carole Rosamond Robertson (April 24, 1949 – September 15, 1963), was the daughter of Alpha and Alvin Robertson. She has two older siblings and attended Wilkerson Elementary School. This church was the site for the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing which took her life at 14 years old, as well as the lives of Carol McNair, Addie Collins, and Cynthia Wesley. The four girls died at their church on September 15, 1963. Although Carole was laid to rest at Greenwood Cemetery, (Montgomery, Alabama) located in Jefferson county, alongside Addie Mae Collins and Cynthia Wesley, she is the only one of the four victims that held a separate service. Carole’s family chose to hold a private service on the Tuesday after the attack — as her sister, Dianne, later explained in an interview, “The world was upset and hurt, but it was our family’s grief.” The bombing had shocked the entire country, and in its aftermath support grew for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was signed into law that year by President Lyndon Johnson. Joan Baez (Baéz) later recorded the song "Birmingham Sunday," written by her brother-in-law Richard Fariña, to memorialize the four girls. Spike Lee produced a documentary, which was released in 1997 called Four Little Girls.[1] To honor her memory, The Carole Robertson Center for Learning was established to assist children and their families. It is located in Chicago. In 2013, former President Barack Obama awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to each of the four victims.[2] Across the street from the 16th Street Baptist Church, there is a bronze and steel statue of the four girls. The church has also been made a National Historic Landmark.[3]
References
- Lee, Spik. "Four Little Girls". Library Journal.
- "U.S. awards medals to four girls killed in 1963 civil rights bombing". reuters.com. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
- "Historic civil rights district in Alabama designated national monument". cbsnews.com. Retrieved May 29, 2019.