Governor’s proclamation honors Carole Robertson, one of the four young victims of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing.
SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
(CNN/ courtesy Edwina Dianne Braddock)
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Governor Kay Ivey has proclaimed September 20, 2025, as Carole Robertson Day— a statewide day of remembrance in honor of Carole Robertson, one of the four young victims of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing.
Robertson, just 14 years old, lost her life in the tragic 1963 bombing in Birmingham, along with Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, and Carol Denise McNair. The bombing, carried out by members of a local Ku Klux Klan chapter, killed the four girls and injured many others, leaving a lasting scar on civil rights history.
In her proclamation, Gov. Ivey stated: “It is fitting and proper that we pause to remember Carole Robertson, her life cut short far too soon, and the enduring call to action her memory represents in advancing peace, unity, and opportunity for all people.”
The new observance comes ahead of the 62nd anniversary of the bombing. Carole Robertson Day will serve as a reminder of the courage and sacrifice of the four young girls, and a chance for Alabamians to reflect on the ongoing work toward racial justice and reconciliation.
Gov. Ivey encouraged state and local leaders, schools, and communities to observe the day through reading, public programs, and other acts that promote the values Robertson stood for — hope, equality, and peace.