Maxine McNair character Herself - Mother of Denise McNair
Chris McNair character Himself - Father of Denise McNair
Helen Pegues character Herself - Denise's Aunt
Queen Nunn character Herself - Neighbor of Denise McNair
Arthur Hanes Jr. character Himself - Defense Attorney for Bob Chambliss
Howell Raines character Himself - New York Times Editor
Harold McNair character Himself - Denise's Uncle
Carole C. Smitherman character Herself - Denise's Childhood Friend
Wamo Reed Robertson character Herself - Carole's Aunt
Dianne Braddock character Herself - Carole's Sister
Carolyn Lee Brown character Herself - Carole's Childhood Friend
Alpha Robertson character Herself - Mother of Carole Robertson
Wyatt Tee Walker character Himself - Former Executive Director of SCLC
Fred Lee Shuttlesworth character Himself - Pres. of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights
Florence Terrell character Herself - School Teacher
Gwendolyn White character Herself - School Teacher
Doris Lockhart character Herself - Neighbor of Cynthia Wesley
Gerald Colbert character Himself - Cynthia's Childhood Neighbor
Freeman Hrabowski III character Himself - Cynthia's Childhood Friend
Shirley Wesley King character Herself - Cynthia's Sister
Carolyn M. McKinstry character Herself - Cynthia's Childhood Friend
David J. Vann character Himself - Former Mayor of Birmingham
Bill Baxley character Himself - Former Attorney General of Alabama
Albert Boutwell character Himself - Former Mayor of Birmingham (archive footage)
Andrew Young character Himself - SCLC
Taylor Branch character Himself - Author
Nadean S. Williams character Herself - Music Teacher
Janie Gaines character Herself - Addie Mae's Sister
Rhonda Nunn Thomas character Herself - Denise's Childhood Friend
James Bevel character Himself - SCLC
Tommy Wrenn character Himself - SCLC
George Wallace character Himself
Nicholas Katzenbach character Himself - Former US Attorney General
Billie Harris character Herself - Funeral Home Director
Ricky Powell character Himself - Denise's Childhood Friend
Lillie Brown character Herself - SCLC
Ossie Davis character Himself - Actor and Playwright
Mahalia Jackson character Herself - During March on Washington (archive footage)
Barbara Nunn character Herself - Denise's Childhood Friend
John Cross character Himself - Former Pastor of 16th St. Baptist Church
Barbara Cross character Herself - Daughter of Reverend Cross
Morris Marshall character Himself - 16th Street Baptist Church Member
Junie Collins character Herself - Addie Mae's Sister
Diane Nash character Herself - SCLC
Faye Davis character Herself - Carole's Childhood Friend
Coretta Scott King character Herself
Walter Cronkite character Himself - Special Correspondent CBS News
Bill Cosby character Himself - Educator
Jesse Jackson character Himself - Founder of the Rainbow Push Coalition
Reggie White character Himself - Green Bay Packers
Ralph Abernathy character Himself - with Martin Luther King (archive footage) (uncredited)
David Brinkley character Himself - Reports on Chambliss Trial (archive footage) (uncredited)
Addie Mae Collins character Herself (joint funeral) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Eugene 'Bull' Connor character Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
James Farmer character Himself - with Freedom Riders (archive footage) (uncredited)
Martin Luther King character Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Spike Lee character Interviewer (voice) (uncredited)
Denise McNair character Herself (at family gathering) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Cynthia Wesley character Herself (joint funeral) (archive footage) (uncredited)