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ive ‘years ago, on Sept. 15, 968” ‘ r Negro girls died in an explosion” wie rocked the Sixteenth Street . aptist Church. yThat was a Sunday morning, t00; the little girls were attending Sunday school. It's ot pleasant to recall that ter- rible day. But it is impossible not to. S$Birmingham did not murder those children, as some charged. Neither id Birmingham die in the blast, as fone predicted ‘ sete ated But something did die, and some- ay ing else was born; and that is why js possible now, five years later, for Birmingham to see a bright future for ali, black and white, against the packdrop of its darkest day. gest died with four children for Whose murderers the search must never cease was the idea that commu- nication between whites and blacks, between citizens and government, be- tween all segments of the community was impossible in Birmingham, and therefore not worth trying to estab- Yish; ane the notion that Birmingham ‘could go along in its old ways and ~ some day everything would be all iat. “What was born was a new apprecia- rs nm of the vaiue of a human life and Ment was not erased. Obviously all of | "the import nce ‘ot its being lived “dignity and in hope;: “what was bor: was a new determination by black and white ~ Birminghamians” that , there.” would be a new day in this city. Obviously all prejudice, all resent our problems have not yet been’ solved. But there has been progress: how great, one only needs to think, All of Birmingham can femember and mourn four children this day, as, painful as the memory may be. But! the city can do so from a vantage point which many—even among our! own citizens—thought Impossible to; attain; it can do so in confidence that the journey which has brought us this , far is not by any means ended, and that our direction is true and our mor; mentum steady. antl tan We cannot be complacent-—not ever | compiacent, But we can be thankful * that God in His wisdom and mercy | has shown us the way this far, God will be with us as we move on, if we’, a “invite Him to sit not only in our} “churches but in our schools and our : business offices and our conferences. ; and our daily lives, to remind us that | t we are, each -of us, our’ brother’: 8. a, brother. ROTM ears (Indicate page, name of newspaper, city and etate A- 14 THE BIRMINGHAM NEWS — Birmingham, Alabama pote: 9-15-68 Edition: Metro Author: Editor, JAMES E, JACOBSON Title: BAPBOMB character:BM or cos Classification?” e Submitting Office: BIRMINGHAN ae Being Investigated» ~ sit