Remembering the two Black boys who also died on the day of the infamous Birmingham Church explosion

 

Video credit: African Diaspora News Channel Podcast

The tragic events of September 15, 1963, forever etched the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing into the annals of history. Four innocent Black girls—Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carol Robertson, and Denise McNair—lost their lives in the senseless attack. Yet, amidst the chaos that followed, two more young lives were tragically cut short, Johnny Robinson and Virgil Ware, whose stories have long been overshadowed.

Outside of Birmingham, Alabama, the names Johnny Robinson and Virgil Ware have faded into obscurity over the decades. These two boys met their untimely demise on that fateful day when the Ku Klux Klan unleashed terror upon the 16th Street Baptist Church. In the aftermath, Robinson, a 16-year-old, and Ware, a 13-year-old, lost their lives in the midst of the turmoil.

Robinson's life was abruptly ended when a group of white individuals drove by, hurling racist slurs and displaying Confederate flags. He and his friends, caught in this terrifying ordeal, were seen throwing rocks at a car adorned with a Confederate flag. Tragically, as the crowd dispersed, a police officer fired a fatal shot into Robinson's back.

The Robinson family's quest for justice was met with heartache as both local and federal grand juries chose not to prosecute the officer responsible for Johnny's death. This injustice left them bereft of closure, and the wounds of the past remained unhealed.

Virgil Ware, on the other hand, was entirely unaware of the church bombing as he rode on the handlebars of his brother James' bike. The Ware brothers had embarked on a paper route, searching for a bike at a scrapyard to prepare for the job. On their way home, they crossed paths with a group of white boys who, mistaking them for others, handed a revolver to one of their friends, Larry Sims. Sims, believing he was firing a warning shot, tragically struck Ware in the chest and face.

Sims was convicted of second-degree manslaughter, while his friend, Michael Farley, pleaded guilty to the same charge. Shockingly, their sentences were suspended, and they were given two years of probation.

Though the city of Birmingham is well aware of this tragic history, many across the country remain unaware of the stories of Johnny Robinson and Virgil Ware. An exhibit at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute aims to shed light on their forgotten tales.

The impact of their deaths resonates beyond that fateful day, as these acts of terror left deep scars in the community. It didn't stop with the church bombing; it continued to affect different parts of the city, and these stories deserve recognition.

For decades, the families of Robinson and Ware grappled with grief and the apparent invisibility of their stories. Ware's remains were once left in an unmarked grave in an Alabama forest. Thankfully, in 2004, his remains found a new resting place, marked and cared for, bringing some solace to his family.

Recognition for these young heroes has grown over the years. They were posthumously inducted into Birmingham's Gallery of Distinguished Citizens in 2011. Their images now stand alongside those of the four girls. In 2013, a sculpture, "Four Spirits," was unveiled in Kelly Ingram Park, honoring the four girls and featuring a bronze bench displaying the names and photos of all six Black children who lost their lives that tragic day, ensuring that Johnny Robinson and Virgil Ware will never be forgotten.

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