Sarah Collins walked to church with her friends and sister like it was any other Sunday. But it wasn’t.
On that tragic day, KKK terrorists bombed the 16th St. Baptist church, injuring dozens and killing four little girls. The story went down in history.
Hidden from history is the fifth little girl, who survived the blast: Sarah.
But her ordeal was far from over.
She was rushed to the hospital where her slow, painful recovery began. She eventually lost her right eye, and has glass embedded in her chest.
As she healed, suffering extreme pain and severe PTSD, she watched the white men responsible escape justice.
And then, she was simply ignored.
Never offered ANYTHING in compensation, not even an apology, she has quietly survived and pressed forward with dignity since that terrible day.
Many survivors of terrorist incidents - 9/11, the Boston Bombing - get victim’s compensation. Collins-Rudolph is still as of 2022 paying off the medical bills stemming from the incident.
Like so many survivors of horrific racist violence, she was left to survive without support or acknowledgment. She is part of our community. It is our responsibility to share her story and to keep fighting so that this never happens again!