"Whether it's racial issues, whether it's gender issues, whether it is terrorist activity similar to what Mr. attorney Doug Jones who prosecuted Blanton said the Klansman should not be granted parole since he has admitted responsiblity for the bombing and has not expressed regret. "We were at that church learning about love and forgiveness when someone was outside doing hateful things," she said.ĭuring the parole hearing, those who opposed Blanton's parole occupied seats reserved for inmates' relatives.įormer U.S. Rudolph, 65, pleaded the board to deny Blanton's parole. They were killed instantly while Collins' sister Sarah Collins Rudolph was seriously injured. The four victims were inside the church when the blast occurred. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment for the bombing. Clair prison and will be eligible for parole in five years, the board said. McNair's sister, Lisa McNair lauded the board's decision.īlanton is serving time at St. The bombing killed 14-year-olds Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley and Carole Robertson and 11-year-old Denise McNair. 15, 1963, was denied parole Wednesday due to the opposition of victims' families.īlanton has served 15 years of a life sentence as part of the group that planted dynamites outside the church, the Associated Press reported. Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr., 78, the only surviving Klansman convicted in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church on Sept. The Alabama Board of Pardons and Parole has denied parole to a Ku Klux Klan member serving sentence for killing four black girls in a church bombing in 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama. “Let us never forget that Sunday morning in September of 1963 and the four young ladies whose lives ended far too soon, but let us continue taking steps forward to heal, do better and honor those who sacrificed everything for Alabama and our nation to be a home of opportunity for all.A picture of Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr. Although his passing will never fully take away the pain or restore the loss of life, I pray on behalf of the loved ones of all involved that our entire state can continue taking steps forward to create a better Alabama for future generations. That was a dark day that will never be forgotten in both Alabama’s history and that of our nation. His role in the hateful act on Septemstole the lives of four innocent girls and injured many others. “While serving a life sentence, Thomas Edwin Blanton, Jr., the last surviving 16th Street Baptist Church bomber, has passed away from natural causes. Governor Kay Ivey on Friday issued this statement: But ultimately, I hope that he repented to the Lord for this sin and made his peace before he died."- WBRC Steve Crocker June 26, 2020 "I wished I could have sat down with him to find out if he had had a change of heart. Lisa McNair, sister of Denise, McNair on the death of church bomber Thomas Blanton: But ultimately, I hope that he repented to the Lord for this sin and made his peace before he died.” “I wished I could have sat down with him to find out if he had had a change of heart. McNair’s sister, Lisa issued this statement on Blanton’s death: Tommy Blanton may be gone, but we still have work to do.” At this moment in our nation when we have all come to realize that the journey to racial justice has taken far too long, we must come together. However, what the families of those girls, and the entire community of Birmingham, do know today is that when we come together and demand justice, we can achieve it. That he died at this moment, when the country is trying to reconcile the multi-generational failure to end systemic racism, seems fitting. The fact that after the bombing, he went on to remain a free man for nearly four decades speaks to a broader systemic failure to hold him and his accomplices accountable. “Tommy Blanton is responsible for one of the darkest days in Alabama’s history, and he will go to his resting place without ever having atoned for his actions or apologizing to the countless people he hurt. Jones released this statement on Blanton’s death:
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |