Blanton is one of four men tied to the bombing, prosecutors say. Robert Dynamite Bob Chambliss was convicted of murder in 1977 and died in prison. Another suspect, Herman Cash, died before he was charged. The church bombing came during White backlash to desegregation in Birmingham that included a series of bombings of Black homes. The city became known by the insulting nickname of Bombingham.
Many residents remain defensive of the city s reputation.
It took a long time for Birmingham to come to grips with the fact that liberty and justice is really for all, he said.