Ahead of last week’s 60th anniversary events surrounding the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing that killed four little girls, a Birmingham group worked to keep clean and presentable their graves with the help of the community, family, friends, money and supplies from a childrens’ foundation and a local home improvement store.

The Ballard House Project, Inc. is working to enhance the graves of the young victims of the horrific bombing thanks to a grant from the Jack and Jill of America Foundation, contributions from local community members and resources, and improvements provided by Home Depot.

The goal is to improve the appearance of the grave sites of Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, and Addie Mae Collins, all of whom are interred in Greenwood Cemetery, as well as Denise McNair, who is laid to rest in her family plot in Elmwood Cemetery, according to a press release from Ballard House.

The multi-year project recognizes the sacrifices made individually and collectively by the four girls and their families in the fight for civil and human rights in Birmingham and our country, according to the press release. The project began in the fourth quarter of 2020 and includes the beautification and short-term upkeep of the grave sites, the group stated.

Majella Chube Hamilton, executive director of The Ballard House Project, Inc said, “this is sacred space.”

The Ballard House’s desire to improve the area around the grave sites came after Jack and Jill of America created a monument of remembrance honoring Carole Robertson, her mother Mrs. Alpha Robertson, and all four girls, according to the press release.

“Jack and Jill of America Foundation awarded a grant in the amount of $23,600 to plan and implement a memorial to honor the girls killed during the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham,” stated Jack and Jill Foundation President Anthony Trotman,

The beautification project carries on the long tradition of Jack and Jill of America. Since 1964, the year after the bombing, Jack and Jill of America has designated Sept.15 as Carole Robertson Day, with activities that honor the tragedy’s background and consequences, according to Ballard House Project.

“It is very important that we remember the four innocent little girls who lost their lives so tragically 60 years ago at 16th Street Baptist Church,” stated Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated National President Kornisha McGill Brown. ”I am thankful that Jack and Jill of America supports numerous initiatives to honor Carole’s memory, such as the beautification project to improve the grave sites of the young victims, so that our children can always remember her and so many others who gave their lives in sacrificial service for equality and human rights. May we never forget their contributions to the world.”