Syracuse, N.Y. – Sarah Collins Rudolph survived one of the worst acts of racial violence in American history 60 years ago, but for decades she suffered from the physical and psychological effects in silence.
She mustered the strength to start telling her story 22 years ago, a process that has helped her heal while inspiring other people to navigate their own trauma. This week, she’ll be sharing her experience with Syracuse-area residents.
At age 12, Collins Rudolph survived the Sept. 15, 1963, Ku Klux Klan bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. She was in the same bathroom where four 14-year-old Black girls, including her sister, died from the blast. Collins Rudolph survived, but the explosion caused severe injuries that left her hospitalized for two months and permanently blinded her in one eye.
The bombing became a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, as news coverage of the violent attack raised awareness around the nation about the horrors many Black citizens faced. That media coverage included a powerful Life magazine photo of Collins Rudolph, who became known as “The Fifth Little Girl,” lying in a hospital bed with patches covering her eyes. A year later, the landmark Civil Rights Act was passed in Washington.
Collins Rudolph, who turns 73 on Nov. 10, struggled for many years with lingering medical issues and trauma-induced anxiety. She also was full of anger. But she said her faith guided her to a healing path.
“The only thing that helped me was when I got close to God,” she told Syracuse.com. “I had a lot of unforgiveness in me. I was angry for a long time.”
Talking about the power of faith and the importance of getting past anger is a core part of the message Collins Rudolph will share at the event in Syracuse. Rasheada Caldwell, a Syracuse common councilor, organized the program through her Let Me Be Great foundation, which she started to honor the memory of her son, Rasheed Baker, who was shot…
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