The 16th Street Baptist Church is a historic church in Birmingham, Alabama. It is best noted for being the first black church that was to be organized in the city, just two years after the city’s founding. It was originally known as the First Colored Baptist Church of Birmingham.

The 16th Street Baptist Church has always been a predominantly African American Baptist church. This is why it isn’t surprising that it has gotten itself involved in the American Civil Rights Movement back in the mid 20th century. It served as an organizational headquarters for blacks who advocated for equality and against discrimination and segregation. In 1963, it became the site of the tragedy where four girls died from a racially motivated bombing.