Civil Rights and Constitutional Change

In celebration of Martin Luther King Day, we’re sharing the program “Remembering Birmingham: Civil Rights and Constitutional Change” held here at the National Constitution Center in 2017 and moderated by Jeffrey Rosen. This conversation features Sarah Collins Rudolph, a survivor of the September 1963 bombing of the 16th street Baptist church in Birmingham, Alabama, carried out by white supremacists, that took the lives of four young girls including Rudolph’s sister. Rudolph is joined by Steven Levingston, author of Kennedy and King and Hannibal Lokumbe, composer in residence at the Philadelphia Orchestra. Hannibal begins by playing a moving piece that he composed on the trumpet in honor of Rudolph and the other victims of the bombing. The panel then explores the tragedy's lasting impact on the civil rights movement and the African American community. Questions or comments about the podcast? Email us at [email protected].