On September 15, 1963, the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama was bombed in an act of white supremacist terrorism that would take the lives of four young African American girls — Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Carol Denise.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. described the Birmingham bombing as “one of the most vicious and tragic crimes ever perpetrated against humanity.” In the nearly 50 year period since the bombing, the sadly short lives of Collins, Wesley, Robertson and Denise have been honored and celebrated on many occasions.

Earlier this year, musician, poet, and educator Amy Leon reimagined the Birmingham bombing with a haunting music video for “Burning in Birmingham.” The piece was described as a “performance [that] utterly radiates with blistering emotional honesty, rage, and frustration over the historical and institutional abuse of black people in America.”

“Burning in Birmingham” also features on Leon’s debut album Something Melancholy. You can stream the album below and can also purchase it HERE.