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It's the morning of September 15, 1963, in Birmingham, Alabama,

at the height of the city's civil rights movement.

Secretary Mabel Shorter shuts her eyes and frustration as the phone starts to ring inside the

main office of a black Baptist church. All morning, the phone has been ringing periodically,

but each time Mabel answers, no one says anything on the other end.

This time is no different. As Mabel lifts the receiver, she's met again with silence.

She shakes her head in exasperation and slams the phone back down.

Mabel doesn't understand what to make of this caller's odd behavior.

She can't tell if it's a prank caller or something worse.

Because for weeks, the church has been receiving bomb threats from local members of the Ku Klux Klan.

So far, their words have proved empty, and there have been no attacks,

but Mabel worries that this morning's calls could be intended as another ominous but silent threat.

With a sigh, she gets up from her desk, paces for a moment,

and slumps up against the nearby wall, anticipating the phone's next ring.

But it doesn't come. Minutes pass, and there are no calls.

Mabel's face splits into a soft smile, because perhaps it is just a prank caller,

and whatever nuisance has been tormenting her all morning is finally done with their game.

Mabel happily walks back to her desk, relieved to be able to finally handle the work

that this morning's constant phone calls forced her to neglect.

...