Civil rights speaker Carolyn McKinstry to speak at Sheldon High School Feb. 24 | Arts & Culture

ELK GROVE - On Thursday, Feb. 24, renowned civil rights speaker Carolyn McKinstry will share her story about the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing in Birmingham, Alabama. Prior to the explosion in 1963, then 14-year old Carolyn Maull (McKinstry) answered the phone on that fateful morning. A voice on the line said "three minutes." Unfortunately, McKinstry was unaware of prior bomb threats and the bomb subsequently exploded, killing four little girls in the church.

The event will begin at 5 p.m. at the Sheldon High School Performing Arts Center, 8333 Kingsbridge Drive in Sacramento. McKinstry will also speak to U.S. History students at Franklin High School at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 24.

McKinstry's presentation, made possible through a partnership including the Elk Grove Unified School District, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and Out of the Box Consultants, is presented through the Teaching American History grant program.

The United States Department of Education Teaching American History grant program is designed to raise student achievement by improving teachers' knowledge and understanding of and appreciation for traditional U.S. history.

In 2009, the Elk Grove Unified School District was awarded a $1.7 million Teaching American History grant. The district was one of 19 districts/offices of education in California to receive the grant. The Teaching American History grant is to be used over a five year period. This is Elk Grove Unified's third Teaching American History grant and is also the first award that will potentially last five years. In 2003, the first three-year award was focused on Colonial American History. In 2006, the district's three-year award grant focused on Civil War History through Immigration at the turn of the 20th century.

For more information about the Teaching American History program, click here.