Murder Victim. Born the third child of Alpha and Alvin Robertson, her father was band master at the local elementary school, and her mother was a librarian. She attended Wilkerson Elementary School where she sang in the choir and played clarinet. She was a straight A student at Parker High School where she was a member of the marching band and science club. She was a Girl Scout and was a member of the social organization, Jack and Jill, Inc. of America. She was a member of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham which was, due to the spacious basement auditorium, the center for meetings of the civil rights movement. On Sunday morning, September 15, 1963, several members of the KKK tunneled under the church and planted 122 sticks of dynamite near what was the girls' basement rest room. At about 10:22 AM, twenty-six children were entering the basement assembly room for closing prayers, five girls were apparently changing into their choir robes. At 10:19 AM the bomb exploded, blowing a hole in the east side of the church, shattering windows, walls, and doors and injuring or killing 24 people. When the debris was searched for survivors, the bodies of four young girls were found: ; Cynthia Wesley, Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, and Carole Robertson. The murders touched off nationwide outrage. Despite a subsequent FBI investigation, however, no one was immediately charged with the crime. It was not until 1977 that any charges were filed, at which time a Klan leader was convicted for the murders. Another two suspects were charged and convicted in 2001 and 2002, a fourth suspect died before charges were brought. The song "Birmingham Sunday," recorded by Joan Baez, memorialized the victims of the bombing. In 1997 a documentary film on the bombing called "4 Little Girls" was released. The Carole Robertson Center for Learning in Chicago, a social service agency that serves children and their families, was named in her honor.

Murder Victim. Born the third child of Alpha and Alvin Robertson, her father was band master at the local elementary school, and her mother was a librarian. She attended Wilkerson Elementary School where she sang in the choir and played clarinet. She was a straight A student at Parker High School where she was a member of the marching band and science club. She was a Girl Scout and was a member of the social organization, Jack and Jill, Inc. of America. She was a member of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham which was, due to the spacious basement auditorium, the center for meetings of the civil rights movement. On Sunday morning, September 15, 1963, several members of the KKK tunneled under the church and planted 122 sticks of dynamite near what was the girls' basement rest room. At about 10:22 AM, twenty-six children were entering the basement assembly room for closing prayers, five girls were apparently changing into their choir robes. At 10:19 AM the bomb exploded, blowing a hole in the east side of the church, shattering windows, walls, and doors and injuring or killing 24 people. When the debris was searched for survivors, the bodies of four young girls were found: ; Cynthia Wesley, Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, and Carole Robertson. The murders touched off nationwide outrage. Despite a subsequent FBI investigation, however, no one was immediately charged with the crime. It was not until 1977 that any charges were filed, at which time a Klan leader was convicted for the murders. Another two suspects were charged and convicted in 2001 and 2002, a fourth suspect died before charges were brought. The song "Birmingham Sunday," recorded by Joan Baez, memorialized the victims of the bombing. In 1997 a documentary film on the bombing called "4 Little Girls" was released. The Carole Robertson Center for Learning in Chicago, a social service agency that serves children and their families, was named in her honor.

Bio by: Iola