Reverend McKinstry will share her story of growing up in the middle of the Civil Rights Movement, from being present at the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing to marching in the Children’s March. Reverend McKinstry will share her stories and how they continue to impact her life today.

Survivor of the Civil Rights struggle and an eyewitness to the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing.; author of While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement.

Carolyn McKinstry is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. As a teenager, she marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Carolyn was present on September 15, 1963 at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, when white racists bombed the Church. Carolyn’s four young friends were killed. She was among thousands of students hosed by firemen during the 1963 marches. She survived a second bomb explosion that damaged a portion of her parent’s home in 1964. She believes that God spared her life on September 15th, 1963, that she might continue to live in service to others. Carolyn was also a subpoenaed witness in the 2002 trial year of Bob Cherry, who was one of three men subsequently convicted of the 1963 church bombing.

She has authored a memoir entitled “While The World Watched” that is available through Tyndale Publishers (Illinois), Christian book stores, Amazon, etc. The book details her life growing up in Birmingham, as well as “lessons learned” from her experiences and involvement in the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement of the sixties. The book serves as a tool for Carolyn’s ongoing national and international travel and work in the Ministry of Reconciliation and Forgiveness.