of birmingham.hat an amazing group of people the children of birmingham. [applause] birmingham made this trip and changed history. changed the 1963 air. i remember it well. economic march on washington a few weeks before. historic march on washington a few weeks before. he said he had a dream. we all had that dream. the dream shall never die. i was a young social worker beginning my first year in graduate school. i might not have become , but i have got the degree. [laughter] they wanted to end poverty. nothing tore was crow about in a country that had jim crow. [applause] president jack kennedy was responding, change was on the way. we were on the move. it was not only a march on washington, it was a march through history. morning september 15, the news flashed across the airwaves that for young girls had died in .irmingham we had died being blown up in their own church bombed. addie mae collins, denise mcnair , carole robertson, cynthia wesley. i have spoken to diane. thated to be told about day.

if you're ever in birmingham, please stop i the birmingham civil rights museum and see the details of actual evidence and see it for yourself, the evidence that doug jones and others used to get these convictions. let me close by asking whether or not -- i know there's so much left for you to do. you are a young guy and so much love for you to do in your life. do you imagine that there is anything else you could accomplish that would ring you a greater sense of contribution than you were able to do between 1997 and 2001? >> that's an easy question. there is no way i can top this as a lawyer or as a person. it was an amazing ride. as i was growing up in birmingham, i never dreamed i would have an opportunity to do so much that meant so much to so many people all across the country, not just your in birmingham -- not just here in birmingham. as long as i can live and breathe and tell the story, i will continue to get that satisfaction every day. and i out the -- and i appreciate the opportunity to tell you the story once again. , good touglas jones have you on. all the best to you and t

why do people care about birmingham? the white people in birmingham haven't quite gotten that this was the most important place in the most important story in american history perhaps. finally i came up with an answer which was which you question why people would want to read about gettysburg? this is the gettysburg of the civil war at the turning point battle. finally people are beginning to accept that it's not going to go away. this is history that was made here and people will always be interested in it. the other reaction has just been shocked that all this went on. retracing the sources of the system back to the new deal and the labor movement and the anti-labour resistance was a big shock to a lot of people. c-span: in a knowledge meant to say my family lucy and isabel mcwhorter rosen were my companions on this journey and make my life complete. my in-laws were solid and carry rosen. your husband? what does he do? >> guest: he is a writer of mystery novels and nonfiction and also with television. c-span: where did

he had lived in birmingham and was 12 that year.also marched and been arrested in may. >> it was like war, because the point was, if a church can be bombed and little girls killed, no one's safe anywhere. >> in the aftermath of the bombing, blacks and whites clashed in the streets. and before the day was over, two young black men had been shot to death. the bombing shocked people outside birmingham, especially because it had happened amid optimism after the successful march on washington, less than three weeks earlier. >> that exercise of true democracy that had just transpired was really shattered by this explosion in birmingham. and for many in the nation, it awoke them to just how difficult this task was going to be. >> but it also galvanized people in the north and the south to lobby even harder for the civil rights act. which was signed into law the following year. hrabowski attended the funeral service that was held for three of the girls in his church, sixth avenue baptist. >> i saw people of all faiths there. it was the firs

>> one is in birmingham. i think he was thinking about changing his name when my book came out, but i think they are all happy now. and not as big of a bomb shell as they feared. and my younger brother is in macon, georgia. >> what were they afraid of? >> i think they were just afraid of the reaction that it was going to be so hostile. that they might suffer reprisals. >> hostile for what reason? >> because i name ames in the book, and it's a pretty unforgiving looat a lot of people that we know. as it turns out, most of the really bad people from the book are dead. i have gotten some sort of sad reaction from the name sakes of some of the people named in the book who were really upset about it. my uncle has been dissing me in the paper there. >> there is your uncle hobert? >> yeah. what is his story? >> he was the guy who carried on the family name. a prominent lawyer in town, and sort of the country club wit, and efrling, and he's still -- he still is very much part of the community and ver visible part of

birmingham is now a city that considers itself very, very progressive.ence of that is the diversity of this crowd. really, it's racially diverse, men, women, young, old, all alike paying respects this morning. an early service in birmingham, and people coming out here with a great degree of respect. you can see the looks on their faces. they are, you know, sort of a mix between mourning and celebration for where we've come, certainly a tragedy that it took this to get us to this point, but a very important moment, a very important remembrance for so many people in this crowd today. >> ben, thank you very much. joining us in studio to give us historical context is our larue lewis mccoy, assistant professor of sociology and black studies. thank you for being with us today. what was it about the deaths of these four little girls that shocked the consciousness of the nation? >> birmingham historically has been a place where racial segregation and hatred was common. it was nicknamed bombingham at that point. it was the third bombing within 11 days, but, it is

of the dogs and tragedy of birmingham.ich tim talks about about birmingham, they think of the dogs and tragedy of birmingham. but they don't think about the people who came together to say we will make the change. >> and change they did. mark, always good to see you. let's start with -- because i know you've done some writing and reporting on this. precisely how was it that the church bombing 50 years ago changed the landscape so dramatically? >> well, i think that the real importance historically of the bombing was that in a sense it woke up white america. it woke up northern whites in a way that they have not been sensitized to the civil rights movement before. that had happened years earlier in black america, but i don't think it penetrate white northern consciousness in the way that the murder of those four little girls on a sunday in birmingham did. >> we heard from sarah collins rudolph there in story, sister of one of the bombing victims. and she also lost her eye, as well. we heard from her earlier this week, she w

this is the time of the bombing in birmingham 50 years ago.ost that day. >>> and in solidarity with the people that are there in the 16th street baptist church, who also just, we will be right back. did you know more coffee drinkers prefer the taste of gevalia house blend over the taste of starbucks house blend? not that we like tooting our own horn but... ♪ toot toot. [ male announcer ] find gevalia in the coffee aisle or at gevalia.com ...amelia... neil and buzz: for teaching us that you can't create the future... by clinging to the past. and with that: you're history. instead of looking behind... delta is looking beyond. 80 thousand of us investing billions... in everything from the best experiences below... to the finest comforts above. we're not simply saluting history... we're making it. like carpools... polly wants to know if we can pick her up. yeah, we can make room. yeah. [ male announcer ] ...office space. yes, we're loving this communal seating. it's great. [ male announcer ] the best thing to share? a data plan. at&t mobile share

natalie tejada of our affiliate in birmingham has more. >> they came to birmingham 16th street baptist church today to reflect. >> sunday in 1963, love and forgiveness would be put to the test. a bomb planted by a white supremacist ripped through the building, 200 people were inside. 22 were injured. denise mcnair, carole robertson, addie mae collins and cynthia wesley, four little girls all under the age of 15 were killed. former secretary of state condoleezza rice, a birmingham native was a friend of denise mcnair. >> i said to my parents as the events were unfolding on television, why do they hate us so much? and i remember my father simply saying, they are hateful men, they are just hateful men. >> the horrific attack shocked the nation making america take a deep look at racial inequality and injustice. >> it also strengthened the civil rights movement and helped influence the passage of the landmark civil right bill of 1964. but today in birmingham, they came to remember. >> in looking forward, it is truly that we honor their sacrifice if we remember that equality and justice for

and i'm glad that birmingham is acting as a backdrop for the u.s.and really stand up and speak out about getting more resources to educate our kids. you know, 50 years ago that was the same issue that divided our country. especially here in the south. limited resources for african-american kids. and now we're faced with some of those same issues. but i am proud to say that birmingham is not the city that we were 50 years ago. when you came here, you saw that we were not defined by the hose pipes and the dogs and the black-and-white footage that you oftentimes see. but there are still major issues that confront our city, and i want to thank you for speaking up for the working class and the poor. the only way we're going to be able to progress as a country is to educate our children. if you have children that are undereducated, you're not going to have productive citizens. and we've got to get the public to understand, you cannot hope to -- >> the legislative process on a state level, when it takes a conservative turn, it seems in this country, not on

it was the fourth bombing in birmingham in four weeks. it was meant to send a message.irmingham city schools had been integrated by national guards men just a few days earlier. only a week before the church bombing, governor george wallace said "new york times" in the alabama could stop integration with a few, quote, first class funerals, unquote. the governor tried to walk that back after the bombing by adding to the reward for the killers. martin luther king told him in a telegram that, quote, the blood of four little children is on your hands. your irresponsible and misguided actions have created in birmingham and alabama the atmosphere that has induced continued violence and now murder. y justice came slowly with the last bomber not being convicted until 2002. these murders were part of a nexus of events that pushed civil rights movement forward. martin luther king had delivered his "i have a dream" speech less than three weeks earlier. me medger evers has been murdered just that previous june. poll taxes were outlawed. the civil rights act was signed in 1964. congr

former secretary of state condoleezza rice, a birmingham native, was a friend of denise mcnair. >> iaid to my parents as the events were unfolding on television, why do they hate us so much. and i remember my father simply saying they're hateful men, they're just hateful men. >> reporter: the horrific attack shocked the nation, making america take a deep look at racial inequality and injustice. it also helped strengthen the civil rights movement and helped influence the pass alk age of t civil rights in 1964. but in birmingham they came to remember. >> in looking forward it is truly that we honor their sacrifice if we remember that equality and justice for all written in the constitution is actually not just a piece of paper but something that each and every one of us must live each and every day. >> reporter: four lives cut short, four little girls whose untimely deaths helped change the nation. the course of a nation. for cbs news, natalie ta he da, birmingham, alabama. >>> when we return, another look at this morning's weather, and crowning achievement. the newly named miss americ

in birmingham, alabama sarah dahloff, nbc news. >> that's "nbc nightly news" for this sunday.ay night football is up. the 49ers against the seahawks. brian williams will be here tomorrow. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. for all of us here at nbc news, good night. . >>> centurylink eld in downtown seattle, where tonight the loudest stadium in the nfl promises to reach deafening levels as the seahawks renew their rivalry with the san francisco 49ers on "sunday night football." they call the crowd here the 12th man but it's the man under center on who has made the biggest difference as of late. quarterback russell wilson tying peyton manning rookie record with 26 touchdown passes and taking the seahawks to a playoff rin win and turning seattle for

time, but birmingham is not dead. its turbulent past as does our state. at times, those scars hide our true beauty. today, we choose to honor the memory, the work, and the sacrifice of those who sought a better vision for birmingham. today, we choose to look beyond those ugly scars and focus on what birmingham really is, and what it can be. ?hat will birmingham look like what will alabama look like? what will our nation look like 50 years forward? that is up to us. .hat is up to the people as those prophetic words that were spoken 50 years ago -- "as birmingham goes, goes the nation." blessd bless all of you, this church, and i am honored to be with you here today. [applause] >> also to give us reflections on the present, the mayor of the city of ermine ham, the arctic -- of birmingham, the architect of the 50 years forward campaign, the one who has engaged us and ignited us to look forward this year, putting a spotlight on our city so that the world can see where we are today, our mayor, william a. bell. [applause] >

, women in the streets of birmingham. hundreds and thousands of young people, young children, had been arrested and jailed in the city of birmingham. people couldn't register to vote simply because of the color of their skin. back in 1961, '62, '63, people had to pass a so-called literacy test in my native state of alabama. on one occasion, a man was asked to count the number of bubbles in a bar of soap. another occasion, a man was asked to count the number of jellybeans in a jar. >> before he would be allowed to register? >> register. and there was black doctors, lawyers, college professors, high school principals, maids, sharecroppers, tenant farmers, stood in unmovable lines all across the south. were denied the right to participate simply because of the color of their skin. >> you lived a very frenetic schedule in the months leading up to the march. you were in all the hot spots, from arkansas to mississippi, alabama and north carolina, but in your speech you made a reference to danville, virginia. i remember you desc

stay with us. ♪ [music break] >> "birmingham sunday," sung by joan baez.n go to our website to see monday's segment featuring world-renowned author, activist, angela davis. we also have an in-depth page that features on our recent interviews about the civil rights movement and the pivotal year for 1963. this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman with aaron matÉ. carole robertson, cynthia wesley and addie mae collins. those are the names of the young women killed 50 years ago this week on september 15, 1963, when the ku klux klan bombed the 16th street baptist church in birmingham, alabama. the bombing came less than a month after the march on washington. denise was 11 years old, the others were 14. hundreds gathered in the nation's capital last week to honor their memory and lawmakers awarded the girls the congressional gold medal. guest is a woman who is often referred to as the fifth victim of the bombing, sarah collins rudolph was 12 years old when the church was attacked. she was standing next to her sister addi

the four little girls, the 50th anniversary in birmingham, alabama.white and native american and everyone. what america has to understand is that just -- some people get embarrassed by what happened. same way if i talk about something empowerment and they can do it themselves, you know, there are people who don't want to see these things talked about again. they weren't there. i didn't do it. yes, i'm white, but, please, it's not -- do we have to talk -- it's painful, but we have to really get to this so that if you do it the correct way, which is show your children what happened, tell your children, this is not our fault, but this is what happened then. hook at the look at these faces. there's a sickness in these faces. there's a sickness in someone who decides that he is going to go into a place of god, and it wasn't the african who brought christianity to this country. this white man and his white friends on a trip, whatever the timing was off, the bomb went off. people were killed, but there were also 43 people who had to go to the hospital, glass

king's letter from the birmingham jail. if you read it, if you study it, he talked about people taking positions of tolerance but not moving it beyond that.saying i see your struggle, i don't know if i really understand it, but i will just tolerate it. we will tolerate it. dr. king spoke about that, and i think today, in this church -- or this panel, i would like to --ar, especially from you -- i especially from you, chris, i love your energy. i love your energy. i want to hear somebody tell us what is going to be beyond tolerance, like king did in his letter from a birmingham jail. what is the action behind the words?>> christopher. >> you did not just call me out, did you? this is a critical point then the quote il is now. had was -- our job is not to get those people who dislike us to love us. our aim was to try to create the kind of america legislatively, morally, and psychologically such that even though some people continue to hate us, they cannot openly manifest that hate. that has been our agenda. it has to still be

i was just in birmingham last week. i live there.e girls, 16th street baptist church memorial and the civil rights mu sooechl seum is. we talked about his career. the juvenile justice system. i asked him about those four little girls that died and he said it is important to never forget our national tragedies and he explained why. here it is. >> what america has to understand is that there were just -- some people get embarrassed about what happened. same way if i'm talking about something, empowerment and they can do it themselves. there are people who don't want to see these scenes talked about a game. i didn't do. yes, i'm white. please, do we have to -- it's painful, but we have to really get to this so that if you do it the correct way, which is show your children whand, tell your children, this is not our fault. but this is what happened then. look at these faces. is there's a sick rns oness in these faces. >> you were giving your first national apeernsz on "the tonight show"? >> i had decided that i, as a writer and a monoolog

and those four girls who lived such terribly short lives were remembered throughout birmingham. this morning, bells tolled at 10:22, the time the bomb exploded. and the sun day school lesson that was interrupted that day was read from start to finish. >>> on the "newshour" tomorrow, on air and online, we kick off a three-part series on how climate change is altering life in the arctic. and five years after the fall of lehman brothers, we sit down with former treasury secretary, henry paulson. recap our lead story, john kerry travels to israel to offer reassurances about the syrian chemical weapons deal that's it for this edition of pbs "newshour" weekend. thanks for watching. female announcer: truly california is a kqed production presented in association with... cal humanities. [upbeat rock music] ♪ next on truly california... it's more than just bunny love. - i don't think a lot of people think raising rabbits is a very masculine hobby. announcer: it's a rigorous competition. - i match my rabbits when i carry them to the table, and that seems to attract a lot of attention. ann

tell us about how it was growing up in birmingham. >> well growing up in birmingham, clearly the mostcity in america, and a place in 1962 and 1963 would be called bombing-ham because it was so violent. >> right. >> you will remember that. it was like being in a parallel world. you were always aware that you couldn't go to a movie theater. couldn't go to a restaurant. i said sometimes very often that my parents couldn't take me to have a hamburger at the woolworth's lunch counter, but had me absolutely convinced i could be president of the united states if i wanted to be. >> i was fascinated i read the story about how your father became a republican. in all of the politics i thought i knew, i never knew that story. >> in 1952 he went down to register to vote in birmingham. young minister, high school athletic director. and they said to him, he went down with my mother, who he was dating. they weren't yet married. and my mom, beautiful woman, and the poll tester, you will remember poll testers, said to her, so what do you teach. she said american history. actually she taught english. he

church in birmingham, echoing an explosion exactly 50 years ago that killed four girls going to sundayhool. at an event to remember the four lives cut short at the hands of the ku klux klan, former secretary of state condoleezza rice spoke growing up in the city where denise was one of her childhood play mates. >> i grew up where my parents couldn't take me to a movie leaser or restaurant. they did convince me even though i couldn't have a sandwich at the counter, i could be president of the united states if i wanted to. >> the country was reminded of the need to continue the fight against discrimination. >> hate never leaves us. it is like a lurking virus and must always be identified, confronted, and defeated. >> he called on every member of every generation to forge ahead to create the more just society that all americans deserve. lisa mcnair feels the death of her sister and other girls changed more than just her future, it changed the country's future. >> it's not onements thing that happened in birmingham. it's about the united states of america. i think that the more people know

nbc's sarah dallof in birmingham. thank you. >>> a leading democrat in the house assesses the chemical weapons deal with a scathing description of russia. and righting the ship. it is still there after 20 months. could tomorrow be the day when the costa concordia finally floats away? well mr. baldwin... it appears our journey has come to a delightful end. then i better use the capital one purchase eraser to redeem my venture miles for this trip. purchase eraser? it's the easy way to erase any recent travel expense. i just pick a charge, like my flight with a few taps, it's taken care of. impressive baldwin. does it work for hotels? absolutely thank goodness. mrs. villain and i are planning our... you scare me. and i like it. let's go what's in your wallet? >>> some headlines making news on the west coast. the los angeles times has a front page story titled "immigrants find a legal work-around." it's about how many illegal immigrants are in the u.s. they're discovering they can find work by running their own companies.

and remembering four girls killed in birmingham in a church. >> good to have you with us. we begin in colorado, where rescue teams have been working around the clock to save thousands from record-breaking floods. hundreds are unaccounted for. heavy rains grounded rescue helicopters. sunday president obama signed an emergency declaration. fima is asking for more counties to be added to the list. how many people are unacted for. we are joined by tamara banks. >> several hundred. you can see behind me the helicopters. they are not going anywhere. it's been raining off and on all day. emotions are running high - all the way from the residents to the sheriff. this place looks like a war zone. they've gone through a tough time and have a tough road ahead. four are dead, one dead in alpaso county and two missing presumed dead in larama. there are 500 unaccounted for in larama county. 16 chopers are standing by waiting to help, but the rain is too bad to fly. some have been trapped for days with no food and water. the good news is 7,000 people have been evacuated due to the raging

that area of low pressure coming out of birmingham. this could be a decent size coastal run are into the second half into monday and tuesday running up the coastline. it could generate wind, shurs and a decent amount of cloud cover into early next week. you can see the center of circulation here. this very weak looking low ultimately could be the nexus or the core of that coastal storm system that runs the coast beginning into sunday and monday. we'll keep an eye on that. tonight down to 46, staying clear and cool. tomorrow 75. mostly sunny. what else is new and clear, cool tomorrow night. guess what? more sunny clear days, in the 70s. we'll keep that going into the weekend hours. there you go not a bad setup at all. really nice, actually and more of the same. really, talking about at 5, you don't want to take these days for granted. these will be gone in short order. we could get multiple days of gray, rainy chilly days. there it is, jamie. you want to stay on top of it. >> manny machado, not a torn mcl. the team's trainer said he sho

, house and senate leaders awarded the congressional gold medal to the four girls who died in a birmingham church bombing in 1963. you can see the ceremony tonight eastern.at 8:35 tomorrow, vice president joe fryn speaking at the steak in iowa. >> judges are like umpires. umpires do not make the rules, they apply them. they make sure everybody plays by the rules, but it is a limited role. nobody ever went to the ballgame to see the umpire. to see whether the fashion zone.thin the strike that suggested the job of the justice was relatively mechanical. when justice kagan was questioned, you do not want the justices to be the focus, you want the law to be the focus. when they make a decision, the law is not always as clear as the ball coming down the center there isrike zone and some degree of judgment that is whether in determining the statute is constitutional or not. >> a legal scholar on the roberts court sunday night at 9:00. ther this month from nation's capital, look for a tv live coverage of the national book festival. readingne book club is "this town." facebook andon twitter. >> are

and for kids in birmingham of my age, i was 8, it was how could these people hate us so much? like her and others, white and black, goodman, cheney and southwesterner, if they had not shed blood, she won't have been secretary of state. president barack obama won't have been in the white house. people paid a price to open america up. we should never forget them and we should not stop until we finish the path that they put us on. we should honor them and honor them by our continued activity. this weekend, i honor these four girls, i honored the others that gave their lives. that opened america up more. i honored them by continuing to try and keep an opening. because of them. we are places no

the people in birmingham hope their gleaming new one will inspire a knowledge regeneration. post industrial hang over, they want this library, to define the city's future, while celebrating its past. simon mcgregorwood, al jazeera, birmingham. >> making the case for a strike against syria, the obama administration lobbies to convince skeptics in congress. >> and a update on the refugee whose are seeking safety beyond the syrian border. that's all i have an real money. victoria azarenko christopher reed.org. >> what happens when social ♪ >> welcome back to al jazeera. here are the headlines. >> al jazeera has obtain add copy of a u.s. government report detailing failures in security diplomatic posts. including benghazi, which was attacked almost a year ago. ambassador chris stephens and three others were killed. we also obtained a copy of a military draft resolution. the draft iii the limited and tailors use were a 30 day extense, and without the use of ground forces. and president obama is left washington to attend the g 20 summit in russia, air force one will first stop in

and for kids in birmingham of my age, i was 8, it was how could these people hate us so much? like her and others, white and black, goodman, cheney and southwesterner, if they had not shed blood, she won't have been secretary of state. president barack obama won't have been in the white house. people paid a price to open america up. we should never forget them and we should not stop until we finish the path that they put us on. we should honor them and honor them by our continued activity. this weekend, i honor these four girls, i honored the others that gave their lives. that opened america up more. i honored them by continuing to try and keep an opening. because of them. we are places no one ever thought we could be, but we still have places to go. we still have hills to climb. and valleys to cross. but we should not forget those that made it possible because of them, i can say, thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now. >> obama strong. let's play "hardball." >> good evening, i'm chris matthews in washington. let me start tonight with this. politics

in all >> ceremonies were held today in birmingham alabama commemorating an event that became a rallyingr the civil rights movement. it was 50 years ago today that a bomb planted by a member of the clue cox clan ripped through a baptist church in birmingham killing four girls and rocking a racially divided nation. >> secretary of state john kerry travels to jerusalem to talk about the latest syria deal. next, why he's not yet backing off the threat of military action. two innocent bystanders are injured in a shooting near new york's time square- and the shots were fired by city cops. break oh, steer clear of kristen, she can't control herself around chocolate. she'll devour you. really? i'd be a terrible friend if i didn't warn you. gotta go! yeah, uh, thanks for introducing us. anything for a friend. ooh, strong grip! ow! ♪ so, wanna grab a bite somewhere? here's fine. oh no, oh no, ahhh! even though it's the best idea ever. but dress for success right? so we started using tide, bounce and downy together. it keeps our clothes looking newer longer and like a million bucks oh, maybe we co

attorney general eric holder and condoleezza rice, a birmingham native, spoke yesterday. >> i came up in a family where my parents couldn't take me to a movie theater or to a restaurant. they did have me convinced even though i couldn't have a hamburger at the woolworth's lunch counter, i could be president of the united states if i wanted to. >> to not recognize that progress does a great disservice for the people who fought so long, who sacrificed so much so that she would and i i would have the opportunities that we had. >> the murders of carol robertson and the others represent a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement in the united states. >>> an arizona church knows how to get -- rather how to let the good times fly. members setting a record for the world's largest pie fight. all of them throwing over 1,000 shaving cream pies. >> that's not a pie. shaving cream. >> you can't eat it. it doesn't taste very well. the church beat the previous pie fight record by over 100 participants. bill, proceeds from that event went to a charity that provides food. >> that's all the good par

tell us about how it was growing up in birmingham. >> well, growing up in birmingham, which was clearly and '63 would be calling bombingham because it was so violent. you'll remember that. it was like living in a parallel world. you were always aware that you couldn't go to a movie theater. couldn't go to a restaurant. i've said sometimes very often that my parents couldn't take me to have a hamburger at the woolworths lunch counter but had me absolutely convinced i could be president of the united states if i wanted to be. >> you know, i was fascinated when i read you telling the story about how your father became a republican. with all of the politics i thought i knew, i never knew that story. >> in 1952, he went down to register to vote in birmingham. he was a young minister, high school athletic director. and they said to him, he went down with my mother who he was dating. they weren't yet married. and my mom, beautiful woman, and the poll tester, you'll remember poll testers, said to her, so what do you teach? she said, american history. actually she taught english. he said, so you

"the watsons go to birmingham," premieres friday on the hallmark channel.h invited. just moments away from that. thank you so much. >>> thank you. >> here we go. i've been looking forward to this all morning. really, since we decided to have this great breakfast series. guess who is coming to breakfast each day this week. come on over here. guess who is coming to breakfast. it's a best-selling author, a mom, a huge "gma" fan and viewer. come on out. sarah dessen. >> hi. >> so good to have you. this is a dear friend of mine. i want you to meet her. sarah dessen. we know all about you. so do hundreds of thousands of people. but for those who don't, take a look. >> hi. i'm sarah dessen. i'm a mom and a wife and a corraler of chickens and an owner of dogs. >> reporter: she's a manager of daily household chaos. and a writer. what makes sarah dessen so special to us at "gma." we know she's watching every morning without fail. >> i love "gma," obviously. it's like you feel like you're just hanging out with your friends in the morning. >> reporter: she's really our

she was airlifted to britain for treatment and is now attending school in birmingham. she is 16 years old. >> even children of 6 and 7 years have read more books than me. now i have challenged myself that i will read thousands of books and i will empower myself with knowledge. pens and books are the weapons that defeat terrorism. >> malala repeated the message she delivered in july in a speech at the united nations. she said one book, one pen, be one child and one teacher can change the world. >>>in insurgentses in afghanistan are increasing attacks with deadly consequences. nearly 1,800 policemen lost their lives. new afghan interior minister dodd zi said monday 1,792 police were killed in the past six months. that's about the same number killed during the entire 12 months before. the minister added that more than 2,700 were wounded. reuters reports most of the policemen were killed by roadside bombs. the afghan government urgently wants a peace deal with taliban insurgents. but militants have been stepping up attacks ahead of a withdrawal of international combat troo

four little girls killed in the bombing of a church in birmingham. >> yesterday hundreds gathered toen and the chain of events that their deaths set in motion. here's abc's david muir. >> reporter: the 16th street baptist church had become a gathering spot for those determined to end segregation. the reverend martin luther king moved by their conviction. >> this birmingham movement is one of the most inspiring developments in the whole nonviolent struggle. >> reporter: those nonviolent protests growing. the famously standing there as police dogs were brought in and high-powered hoses released on children and parents determined to have their quiet message heard. the scenes playing out amid calls from the other side to keep segregation alive. >> i say segregation now. segregation tomorrow and segregation forever. >> reporter: 50 years ago as church goers filled the alabama church it was bombed, killing four young girls, four young faces gone. the bombing became a powerful symbol, helping to fuel the push for change. 1964 civil rights act that would come a year later. 50 years later, th

tell us about how it was growing up in birmingham. >> well growing up in birmingham, which was clearly city in america, and a place that in 1962 and 3 would be called bombingham, because it was so violent. it was like living in a parallel world. you were always aware that you could not go to a movie theater. couldn't go to a restaurant. i said sometimes, very often, that my parents couldn't take me to have a hamburger at the woolworth's lunch counter, but they had me absolutely convinced that i could be president of the united states if i wanted to be. >> you know i was fascinated you told the story about how your father became a republican with all the politics i knew, i never knew that story. >> he went down to vote in birmingham, and they said to him -- he went down with my mother who he was dating. they were not yet married. and my mom, the beautiful woman. and the poll tester you will remember, poll testers, said to her, what do you teach? she said american history. he said so you probably know who the first president of the united states was. she said yes, george washington. he s

i am a native of birmingham, alabama.in 2006 i founded the unity club at my alma mater homewood high school, and i'm working on expanding that to a much larger organization. my question is for you mayors, what suggestions do you have for strategies or incentives to get corporate america and government officials to come together and work together on initiatives that already exist in so may different areas of cities, even when it may not be beneficial? so what strategies do you suggest for people who actually are actively trying to unify their cities and organizations to get support from government and corporate america? >> i'm going to ask the mayors to answer a bullet point. >> have been great mentor ships for these young people that don't look like who the corporate structure is. have them coach them. have been developed them through their system so they can appreciate the challenges that we have in all of our cities. >> any other bullet points? >> the same. we have different groups that are organized around the youth an

funding is half that in birmingham. academic research suggests that the current nhs funding formula discriminates against rural areas. and against older people. does the prime ministers share my view that the nhs move as quickly as possible toward fairer funding for rural areas? know we have given a lot of these decisions away from ministers to nhs england. they are looking at a fairer funding formula and i am sure that they will look at the arguments he has made. i will also ask them to look at the cancer drugs fund which has been a phenomenal success in england. badly it has not been copied by labor in wales but i am full of hope. the drugs funding has helped many of our constituents to get treatment that they badly need. the prime minister tell the house what he is doing to support food banks in the united kingdom? >> what we have done is something that the food bank movement has been asking for for years, but labor did not grasp because they were worried about the pr and that was the ability to save the people at jo

i am a native of birmingham, alabama. in 2006, i founded the unity motter, and i'm working on expanding that to a much larger organization. my question is for you mayors. what suggestions do you have four strategies or incentives to get corporate america and government officials to come together and work together on initiatives that already exist in so many different areas of the city, even when it may not be beneficial? what incentives or strategies do whosuggest for people actually are actively trying to unify their cities and organizations to get support from government and corporate america? >> i'm going to ask the mayors to do that as sort of -- in bullet points. >> have them create mentorships where these young people who do not look like what the corporate structure is, have them coach them and develop them through their system so they can appreciate the challenges we have in all of our cities. >> we have different groups that are organized around the youth, and we get them involved. i noticed one event that has re

central alabama did not have as much violence has what occurred in birmingham. we did have during the bus boycott several homes bond. nixon's was, dr. king's was, but nobody got hurt. and also in my personal case i was attacked once and the street but it really was not an attack on me because of anything add-on it was a mistaken identity. and then the attacks my law partner. but i have always recognized that there was danger, albeit all kinds of phone calls. you would see in the new addition to bus ride to justice, and i did not know this until i was preparing the new edition. and i got my file from the bar association to my did not want to know what all there were trying to do a certain points because i felt it may have had an adverse effect on me. i said, whenever it is a rigid magnetic complaint i answered in usually awarded a lawyer to represent me. that came out of right. i found out that the very first complaint against me by somebody complaining to the bar occur two days after rosa parks case on december the seventh 1955. and it happened of what is now a

public library is sponsoring next years reading of the letter from birmingham jail and what we did, a very simple idea. we decided we would have people here at the library read the letter aloud to whomever shows up in months to hear it. we decided that we would issue an invitation to anyone anywhere who wanted to also do the same thing any time on that day. i am not someone who understands social media so i don't quite understand how these things happen, but through the hard work of a number of people here and through this magic of this social media thing it just took off and we have on our web site at page asking everyone to just let us know that you are going to be a -- doing a reading and where and how you might do it. when i left my office to come up here we had 176 locations signed up so far. they are all over the world. [applause] thank you john. we have locations in 28 states. we have people who will be reading the letter and the wonderful thing is it's going to go on all day because it's going to start in australia and it's going to come around the world. we have people in s

i recently spoke with condoleezza rice who was a child in birmingham when the bombing took place. >>s from the church. it was like the ground shook. and for kids in birmingham my age, i was eight, it was -- you know, how could these people hate us so much? >> as i sat and listened to ms. rice tell me about how the ground shook and she felt it in her church two miles away, i thought about how no one would have thought she would have grown to be the secretary of state. we'll never know what those four girls would have been if they lived. that's why we must stop hate. that's why we must use the law to justly protect young people. thanks for watching. i'm al sharpton. "hardball" starts right now. >>> russian roulette. let's play "hardball." ♪ >>> good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. let me start tonight with this. president obama stands at the abyss tonight. he stands precariously close to losing control of a vital presidential dis

. >>> back here at home this evening, and to birmingham, alabama. where they remembered four young girls killed 50 years ago this sunday. the 16th street baptist church had become a gathering spot for those determined to end segregation. the reverend martin luther king moved by their conviction. >> this birmingham movement is one of the most inspiring developments in the whole nonviolent struggle. >> reporter: those nonviolent protests growing. families famously standing there as the police dogs were brought in. as the high-powered hoses were unleashed on children and their parents. determined to have their quiet message heard. the scenes playing out amid calls from the other side to keep segregation alive. >> and i say segregation now, segregation tomorrow and segregation forever. >> reporter: 50 years ago today, as church-goers filled that alabama church, it was bombed. killing four girls, four young faces, gone. the bombing became a powerful symbol, helping to fuel the push for change. the 1964 civil rights act that would come a year later. on th