The 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing

Which statement best summarizes the central idea of the text?

• A significant number of bombings took place in Birmingham, Alabama during the 1950s and 1960s.

• Churches in Birmingham were often used as meeting places for civil rights leaders to organize and hold events.

• Lyndon Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made it illegal to discriminate against people for their race, gender, religion, or nationality.

• The deaths of four young girls in a Birmingham church bombing sparked massive protests against racial discrimination and gave racism national attention.

In paragraph 5, the author explains that "At 10:22 a.m., the teenage Sunday School Secretary got a phone call. The person delivered an ominous message, just saying 'Three minutes.'" Why is this detail important?

• It tells the reader exactly what time the bomb went off.

• It implies that there were children in the church at the time.

• It shows that people in the church did not have enough warning to get out.

• It means the bomber made a mistake by setting off the dynamite too early.

Which statement best describes the impact of the four girls' deaths?

• There was a very small funeral service that only the girls' families attended.

• Many people attended the funeral, and Dr. King, Jr. gave a speech telling people to keep working for civil rights.

• The funeral was used as an opportunity for Dr. King Jr. to tell the community to stop fighting for civil rights or else more people might get hurt.

• Members of the community went to the girls' funeral, but most Americans didn't care that they had died or that the church had been bombed.

According to the information in paragraph 12, what happened to bombers?

• All but one of the bombers faced punishment for the bombing.

• Because the case closed in 1968, the bombers were not punished.

• As time went by, the court decided not to hold the bombers accountable.

• Since most of the girls had died, finding and punishing the bombers was not important.

How does paragraph 13 impact the author's main message?

• The author reminds the reader that the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing was a tragic incident.

• The author informs the readers that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made all racism in America illegal in the United States.

• The author describes how the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing was one of the reasons why the Civil Rights Act was signed.

• The author explains that President Lyndon Johnson made a personal commitment to end racial discrimination in America.

The 16th Street Church bombing influenced people across the United States. How does the influence of the bombing support the author's main idea?

• It highlighted the severity of racial tensions.

• It led to immediate policy changes.

• It was an isolated incident with little impact.

• It was quickly forgotten by the public.

What was the broader impact of the 16th Street Church bombing on the civil rights movement in the United States?

• It highlighted the immediate need for changes in civil rights.

• It resulted in the immediate passing of new laws.

• It was a minor event with limited consequences.

• It was largely ignored by the media.