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350 (Hey, 7-16-63) me, bh E Five ‘years ago, on sept. 15, "1983. our Negro girls died in an explosion” RO rocked the Sixteenth | Stre t ptist Church. es “That was a Sunday morning, “400; the little girls were attending Sunday” gchocl. ‘It’s not pleasant to recall that ter- rible day. But it is impossible not to. ¥Pirmingham did not murder those . children, as some charged. Neither . did Birmingham die in the blast, as atenite and in hope: “what was born: was a new determination by black and ‘S white” Birminghamians ~ that , there. “ would be. a new day j in this city. Obviously ‘all preiudice, all yesent ment was not erased. Obviously all of: our problems have not yet been’ _ solved. But there has been progress: —how great, one only needs to think, back across those five years to see. Ss ’ All of Birmingham can remember. ome predicted. | ote) onteu ase! and mourn four children this day, as, "But something did die, and some-" er else was born; and that is why ~ 1 s possible now, five years later, for _ Birmingham to see a bright future . for all, black and white, against the backdrop of its darkest day. ge What 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; and the notion that Birmingham” ould go along in its old ways and ~ some day everyining would be all - pent. What was born was a new apprecia- tion of the vaiue of a human life and % at Nt Ce ee Se tes” a 7. go. renin de ee tone habe 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 mo-3 mentum steady. st en hehe aE We cannot be complacent-—not ever ¢ complacent, But we can be thankful * -that God in His wisdom and mercy has shown us the way this far,’ God will be with us a5 we move on, ‘if we" 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 | “we are, each ‘of lis, our’ brother’ 5. brother. we ai—eeinn ee as (Indicate page, name of newspaper, city and state.) A- 14 THE BIRMINGHAN NEWS — Birmingham, Alabama “EN Date: 9- 15- 68 Edition: Metro Authot: EawerJAMES EB, JACOBS ON Title: - BAPBOMB Character BM or “ ‘ Classitication Submitting Office: : BIRMINGHAH | Being Investigated aa