tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1475128319218423248.post1711971918081912183..comments2023-08-10T06:32:38.601-04:00Comments on By Their Strange Fruit <a name="top"> </a>: When Churches are BombedBTSF:http://www.blogger.com/profile/02553697351488297764noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1475128319218423248.post-7746555394203840822013-09-16T01:05:21.966-04:002013-09-16T01:05:21.966-04:00As it does after similar events today, the mainstr...As it does after similar events today, the mainstream (read: white) media focused more on the potential for violent black backlash to the Birmingham bombing, than on those that committed it--or the even environment of racial oppression surrounding it.StrngeFruithttp://bytheirstrangefruit.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1475128319218423248.post-29164693113904362012013-09-16T00:55:47.923-04:002013-09-16T00:55:47.923-04:00Just as in today's racialized cases, the Birmi...Just as in today's racialized cases, the Birmingham bombing was not aggressively prosecuted by white authorities: "By 1965, we had serious suspects—namely, Robert E. Chambliss, Bobby Frank Cherry, Herman Frank Cash, and Thomas E. Blanton, Jr." But it wasn't until 1977 that any sort of charges were brought in the case:<br /><br />"Herman Cash died in 1994 without having been charged. Bobby Frank Cherry, also a former Klansman, was indicted in 2001 along with Blanton. Judge James Garrett of Jefferson County Circuit Court ruled "that Mr. Cherry's trial would be delayed indefinitely because a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation concluded that he was mentally incompetent.” He was later convicted in 2002, sentenced to life in prison, and died in 2004.<br /><br />One of the bombers, Robert Chambliss, was charged with possession of dynamite. He served a six-month sentence. The others weren’t prosecuted for decades. Fourteen years after the bombing, Chambliss was tried again and found guilty in connection with the bombing. He died in 1985. Thomas Blanton wasn’t tried until 2001, and is still serving a life sentence; Bobby Frank Cherry was convicted in 2002, and died two years later—that means it took nearly 40 years for most of the bombers to be brought to justice. The other bomber, Herman Cash, had died in 1994 and never faced charges." <br /><br />Quotes:<br />http://colorlines.com/archives/2013/09/sunday_marks_the_50th_anniversary_of_the_birmingham_church_bombing.html<br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/16th_Street_Baptist_Church_bombingStrngeFruithttp://bytheirstrangefruit.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1475128319218423248.post-63847482815202007032013-09-16T00:51:40.289-04:002013-09-16T00:51:40.289-04:00The damage to our witness: "I think that in t...The damage to our witness: "I think that in the black community, the 16th Street bombing will always remain a testament of not to fully trust white folks," Drew says. "Our hearts became reserved. We had a new fear of white violence. Because if you will stoop that low, to kill children in church, then is there anything else that you couldn't do?" http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2013/09/15/221790880/50-years-later-birmingham-is-still-subtly-dividedStrngeFruithttp://bytheirstrangefruit.comnoreply@blogger.com