addie mae collins, carole robertson, cynthia wesley, denise mcnair.es remain seared in our hearts and certainly in yours, we know that 50 years later. they left their families, communities, and the country far too early. dr. king declared at the memorial service days after the bombing, "their deaths say we need to work unrelentingly for the american dream." just a few weeks after that i have a dream speech, -- of their legacy endures. the memory inspires the fight to establish justice and to form a more perfect union and to realize the dream, the dreams of four little girls, the dream of a nation that loves and values all of america's children's. several years ago, i had the privilege of traveling with reverend lewis. not a reverend, but he is like a preacher to us. i apologize. baucus with us as well. steny hoyer has come on many of these trips and many more to come. we visited the 16th st. baptist church in birmingham. it was heartbreaking to be there in this place that looks so normal. such an extraordinary thing had happened to these little girls.

addie mae collins, denise mcnair, carole robertson, cynthia wesley.he four little girls died in the sacred walls of the 16th street baptist church 50 years ago this week as they were preparing for sunday school. they died at the hands of a system that remained silent about blatant violent acts of hatred. later, we remain silent no more. today, they will finally be recognized as agents of change who lost their lives and it was pivotal in the struggle for equality. bestowrican people will the highest civilian honor that congress can bestow upon these four little girls in recognition that out of this tragedy came a movement that inspired our nation and impacted the world. the senseless deaths of the four little girls serves as a catalyst for legislative change. 50 years later, we finally honor their life and legacy. justice delayed, but not denied. god is good. [applause] i believe it is the fitting that we would honor for little girls from birmingham under the watchful eye of another alabama daughter, rosa parks. [applause] was parks, whose statue dedic

given posthumously to addie mae collins, carole robertson, cynthia wesley and denise mcnair. their deaths helped spur the passage of the civil rights act of 1964 and the voting rights act a year later. alabama congresswoman terri sewell paid tribute. >> the names of the four little girls will never appear on the wall here in congress. but their legacy truly paved the way for me and so many others to serve here in congress. i know that the journey that i now take, as alabama's first black congresswoman, would not be possible had it not been for the journey of addie, carole, denise, and cynthia. >> ifill: past recipients of the medal include other civil rights figures, as well as the wright brothers, mother teresa, and bob hope. >> woodruff: and online, you may have noticed a different look to our rundown. we've launched a new initiative to track the most important stories of the day, as they evolve. you can find this new blog on our home page.

with lisa mcnair, the sister denise mcnair, and diane braddock, the sister of carol robertson. we will also talk with douglas jones, the persecuting attorney of the klansmen responsible for those murders. those conversations coming up right now. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. tavis: earlier this year, the families of the four little girls that died in the infamous birmingham church bombing were in the white house for the signing -- they were murdered 50 years ago the sunday while preparing for sunday school at the 16th street baptist church in birmingham. joining me now is douglas jones committee prosecuting attorney who more than two decades later led the team that secured convictions for two of the four klansmen responsible for the murders. i am always honored and humbled to be in conversation with you, sir. >> thank you for having us. great to be back with you, tavis. tavis: for those of you who were not aware of what happened come it has been 50 years. top line for me what happened that morning at the 16th street baptist church

. >> 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 part, but we're talking the guinness record here. >> if you're going to do the pie fight -- >> custard? >> make them edible. >> apple. apple may hurt a little bit. >> you can tell bill and i are hungry at this time of the morning. >>> fire officials will monitor the site of last week's massive boardwalk fire in new jersey after a flare-up erupted sunday. governor chris christie plans to hold a mobile cabinet meeting for those who have been impacted there. the president and the first lady welcome musical artists to the white house

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 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. >> four lives cut short, four little girls whose untimely death helped change the course of a nation. for cbs news, natalie tejada, birmingham, alabama. >> g

addie mae collins, carole robertson, and cynthia wesley, who were all 14.ise mcnair, who was just 11. >> i knew so clearly that it could have very easily have been me. >> freeman hrabowski is the president of the university of maryland, baltimore county. he had lived in birmingham and was 12 that year. he had 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

ceremony at the capitol, the congressional gold medal was given posthumously to addie mae collins, carole robertson, cynthia wesley and denise mcnair. their deaths helped spur the passage of the civil rights act of 1964 and the voting rights act a year later. alabama congresswoman terri sewell paid tribute. >> the names of the four little girls will never appear on the wall here in congress. but their legacy truly paved the way for me and so many others to serve here in congress. i know that the journey that i now take, as alabama's first black congresswoman, would not be possible had it not been for the journey of addie, carole, denise, and cynthia. >> ifill: past recipients of the medal include other civil rights figures, as well as the wright brothers, mother teresa, and bob hope. >> woodruff: and online, you may have noticed a different look to our rundown. we've launched a new initiative to track the most important stories of the day, as they evolve. you can find this new blog on our home page. all that and more is on our web site, newshour.pbs.org. >> ifill: and that's the newshour for tonigh

instead, denise mcnair, carol robertson, addie mae collins and sip thee ya wesley were killed 50 years ago today in one of the worst acts of violence during the civil rights movement. they died on a sunday morning, the church they attended, the 16th street baptist church in birmingham, alabama, was bombed. this recollection is from a new documentary called preserving justice. >> my teacher, ms. wesley, her daughter was one of the ones killed in that church bombings, cynthia wesley, and i could remember seeing her standing on the stoop outside the emergency room crying. >> this man survived those very dangerous times, even though he was a civil rights attorney who worked with rosa parks and dr. martin luther king jr. his name was demetrius newton and he was interviewed for the same documentary. >> i saw two white police officers manhandle a young blind girl that i knew and i think it was the catalyst that perhaps led me to choose a career. >> later, newton became the first african-american to serve as president pro tem of the alabama house. he died age of 85 earlier this week. 50 years

denise mcnair, carol robertson, addie mae collins, and cynthia wesley, four little girls, all under thege 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'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, birmingha

[bell tolls] will the family of carol roberts on stand. robertson. ce mcnair stand. -- will the family of denise mcnair stand. we remember denise mcnair. [bell tolls] gill the family of virtua ware stand. we remember virgil ware. [bell tolls] and will the family of johnny robertson stand. we remember johnny robertson. [bell tolls] let us never forget their lives, their legacy, and the lessons that we have learned in these past 50 years. we are prepared to believe now, and i will ask that we all stand as we prepare to sing the hymn of the movement, "we shall overcome." i will ask elder king to come up here please. amen. congresswoman sewell, if you will come. the governor and his wife, the attorney general and his wife, will you please come. the mayor and his wife, would you please come. come on off. up.ome on we're going to grab one , and there iss only one person that can lead us in this hymn. come on, bishop. [organ plays] ♪ we shall overcome. >> ♪ we shall overcome we shall overcome we shall overcome someday i do believe we shall overcome someday o

carole robertson, cynthia wesley and addie mae collins.re 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 addie mae collins. sarah collins rudolph was hit with shards of glass, lost tonight and was hospitalized for months. today she continues to live in birmingham, alabama, where she joins us now. it is such an honor to have you with us, sarah collins rudolph. can you talk about that day 50 years ago, where you were when the dynamite exploded? >> yes. i was in the ladies lounge when the bomb went off.

capitol ceremony, the congressional gold medal was given posthumously to addie mae collins, carole robertson, cynthia wesley, and denise mcnair. their deaths helped spur the passage of the civil rights act of 1964 and the voting rights act a year later. alabama congresswoman terri sewell paid tribute today. >> the names of the four little girls will never appear on the wall here in congress, their legacy truly paved the way for me and so many others to serve here in congress. i know that the journey that i now take, as alabama's first black congress woman would not be possible had it not been for the journey of addie, carol, denise and cynthia. >> >> ifill: past recipients of the medal include rosa parks, reverend martin luther king, jr., and his wife, coretta scott king. still ahead on the newshour, three takes on syria, from republican senator susan collins, syrian americans with family impacted by war, and former u.n. weapons inspector, charles duelfer; plus, margaret warner in egypt; jeffrey brown on the photography of war; and shields and brooks preview president obama's address to the

with lisa mcnair, the sister denise mcnair, and diane braddock, the sister of carol robertson. we will also talk with douglas jones, the persecuting attorney of the klansmen responsible for those murders. those conversations coming up right now.

denise mcnair carol robertson adeyemo collinson cynthia westlake. they were primping because they wanted to look really nice. they were combing their hair in the mirror and another one of their sunday school classmates came into the bathroom and he said something like they needed to get back to sunday school class because those who don't obey the lord live only half as long. at 10:22 a stick of dynamite had been put in the east wall of the church and blew out a man sized hole in the wall of the bathroom blew the clothing off the girls. they killed them all and one of them decapitated. c-span: did you talk to any of the father's? you tell some stories. tell the stories about going to the morgue. >> guest: in one case and most of that was actually from interviews with witnesses on the scene because the families had a hard time talking about it. they were willing to talk about it but calm about the four little girls and the church bombing. the pastor when i came upon the girls he didn't recognize them. he thought they were women in their 40s and he cou

carol. >> nic robertson, thanks so much. >>> still to come in "the newsroom" despite calls for repeal, obama days. we'll walk through what it meansor you with a former health care representative, next in "the newsroom." don't really look like much at all. i see the aleutian islands. looks like a duck. it looks like... america... ish. that's a map. that's a map of the united states. check the map. verizon's 4g lte is the most reliable, and in more places than any other 4g network. trade in your old device and trade up to america's most reliable network. i've got the good one! i got verizon! that's powerful. verizon. man: [ laughs ] those look like baby steps now. but they were some pretty good moves. and the best move of all? having the right partner at my side. it's so much better that way. [ male announcer ] have the right partner at your side. consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. go long. insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. peace of mind is important when so we provide it services you bucan rely on. with centurylink

denise mcary, carol robertson, adddy holland, and cynthia wesley were primping because they wanted to look really nic. they were combing their hair in the mirror. another one of their sunday school classmat came into the bathroom and said something like, they need you to get back to sunday school class because those who don't obey the lord live only half as long. at 10:22, this bundle of dynate that was against the east wall of the church exploded. it blew out a man-size hole in the wall of thebathroom. blew the clothes off the girls. stackelike cordwood under debris, and killed them all. one had been decapitated. >> did you talk to any of the fathers and mothers? you tell stories that they can remember -- to tell the stories about going to the morgue and finding them. >> in one case -- most of that was actually from f.b.i. documents and inrviews with witnesses on the scene becuse the families have a hard time talking about it. i mean it's likely that when spike lee did a movie, they were willing to talk about it, about the four little girls, about the church bombing. the -- the pasto

consulate gets attacked in the early hours of the morning, carol. >> nic robertson reporting live from beirut this morning. >>> in 140 characters or less, what the twitter i-peal might mean for you. we'll talk about that next. clients are always learning more to make their money do more. (ann) to help me plan my next move, i take scottrade's free, in-branch seminars... plus, their live webinars. i use daily market commentary to improve my strategy. and my local scottrade office guides my learning every step of the way. because they know i don't trade like everybody. i trade like me. i'm with scottrade. (announcer) scottrade... ranked "highest in customer loyalty for brokerage and investment companies." ♪ "first day of my life" by bright eyes ♪ you're not just looking for a house. you're looking for a place for your life to happen. >>> big news came via a little tweet. twitter will file for an initial public offering and investors are hoping the payoff will be better than just 140 characters. alison kosik is at the new york stock exchange with more on this. good morning, alison. >> good

language exactly what's going to happen, before all of that is agreed, carol. >> senior international correspondent nic robertsonrow, secretary of state john kerry meets with his russian counterpart to hammer out a clear plan for syria. but russia' president putin says the united states may be shooting itself in the foot by keeping the threat of military action on the table. >> translator: of course, all this won't mean anything if the united states and other nations supporting, giving up a plan to use force against syria. you can't really ask syria or any other country to disarm unilaterally why military action against it is being contemplated. >>> cnn's jill dougherty is with us, i start with you. will russia and the united states really be able to agree? >> that is the question, that nobody really knows that, but what they're going to do is give it a big try on thursday, when secretary kerry and minister lavrov meet in geneva. their task, come up with a workable, concrete plan of how putting these chemical weapons under the control of the international community would actually work in practice, not just theor