The 1963 Birmingham Church Bombing Killed Four Young Black Girls. But They Weren't the Only Victims of Racial Violence in the City That Day
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The Birmingham church bombing in 1963 resulted in the deaths of four young Black girls, but they were not the only victims of racial violence that day. In addition to the bombing, two other Black teenagers, Johnny Robinson and Virgil Ware, were killed by white assailants shortly after the attack. These incidents highlight the pervasive racism and violence in Birmingham during a tumultuous period of civil rights activism.
- ▪The Birmingham church bombing occurred on September 15, 1963, killing four young girls.
- ▪On the same day, 16-year-old Johnny Robinson was shot by a police officer and 13-year-old Virgil Ware was killed by a white teenager.
- ▪Birmingham was known as 'Bombingham' due to the frequent bombings targeting Black-owned properties and civil rights activists.
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The 1963 Birmingham Church Bombing Killed Four Young Black Girls. But They Weren’t the Only Victims of Racial Violence in the City That Day Hours after the attack, a police officer shot 16-year-old Johnny Robinson in the back. Then, a white teenager mortally injured 13-year-old Virgil Ware as he rode on the handlebars of his brother’s bike Francine Uenuma | History Correspondent May 19, 2026 8:00 a.m. ShareCopy linkEmailSMSFacebookXRedditLinkedInBlueskyPrintAdd as preferred source On the day of the Birmingham church bombing—September 15, 1963—white assailants also killed 13-year-old Virgil Ware (left) and 16-year-old Johnny Robinson (right).
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Smithsonian Magazine.
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