Birmingham is beginning five days of events linked to the 50th anniversary of the church bombing that killed four black girls in 1963.
Thousands of volunteers are expected to participate in a day of service on Wednesday in the city.
A memorial commemorating the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 also is planned in a downtown park, followed by musical acts and speakers.
The events are the first of days of activities leading up to the anniversary of the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church on Sunday.
Ku Klux Klansmen planted a bomb that detonated outside the church on Sept. 15, 1963. The blast killed four girls and critically injured a fifth.
One man remains imprisoned after being convicted of murder in the blast.