September 15th, 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama the 16th Street Baptist Church was bombed. In the basement, four children were killed —14-year-olds Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and 11-year-old Cynthia Wesley. Addie's sister Sarah survived, but lost her right eye. A dozen people were injured as well. This was 18 days after the March on Washington. 16th Street Baptist was a large and prominent church located downtown, just blocks from Birmingham's commercial district and City Hall. Since its construction in 1911, the church had served as the centerpiece of the city's African American community, functioning as a meeting place, social center, and lecture hall. Because of its size, location, and importance to the community, the church served as headquarters for civil rights mass meetings and rallies in the early 1960s. Over, 8,000 people attended the girls' funeral service at Reverend John Porter's Sixth Avenue Baptist Church. Lordhavemercy.