On Friday, April 25, members and friends of the 16th Street Baptist Church broke ground on the church’s new Education and Visitors Center.
Once complete, the 13,000-square-foot building will include classrooms, meeting spaces, an exhibit hall, a dedicated area to honor the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement, and a restaurant space.
The facility is designed to serve as a center for education, reflection, and community engagement, welcoming both visitors and local residents. It is a multipurpose space situated adjacent to the historic church sanctuary and parsonage.
16th Street Baptist Church
During the Civil Rights Movement, the 16th Street Baptist Church became a central gathering place and local headquarters for activists.
On September 15, 1963, the church was the site of a devastating act of racial violence when members of the Ku Klux Klan bombed the building — an attack Martin Luther King, Jr. called “‘one of the most vicious and tragic crimes ever perpetrated against humanity.”
The bombing claimed the lives of four young girls—Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Carol Denise McNair—and left many others seriously injured.
Out of that tragedy came transformation; and today, that legacy lives on, not just in memory but in mission. That’s why the 16th Street Baptist Church Education and Visitors Center matters. This project is more than just brick & mortar, more than anything we can tangibly touch. It’s a project about memory and meaning.
Rev. Arthur Price, Jr., Pastor of 16th Street Baptist Church
We are proud to be part of a project that honors the legacy of the 16th Street Baptist Church while creating a powerful, educational space where future generations can learn, reflect, and be inspired.
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