16th Street Baptist Church Bombing Victims Bronze Medal

The 16^th Street Baptist Church Bombing Victims Bronze Medal is a duplicate of the Congressional Gold Medal awarded posthumously to Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley.

The obverse features the silhouettes of four young girls, representing those killed on September 15, 1963. Their names, “ADDIE MAE COLLINS,” “DENISE McNAIR,” “CAROLE ROBERTSON” and “CYNTHIA WESLEY,” are inscribed around the border of the design. The quote “PIVOTAL IN THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY” and additional inscriptions “SEPTEMBER 15” and “1963” are incused across the silhouettes.

The reverse depicts a view of the 16^th Street Baptist Church with the quote “KILLED IN THE BOMBING OF THE 16^TH ST. BAPTIST CHURCH” to the left of the image. Additional inscriptions are “ACT OF CONGRESS 2013” and “BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.”

Fifty years ago, the deaths of these four young African-American girls at the church located in downtown Birmingham, AL, sparked "The Movement that Changed the World.” On that tragic Sunday, September 15, 1963, people around the world took notice of the violence that occurred with the struggle for civil rights.