Randall 's most famous poem is " The Ballad of Birmingham , " written in response to the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham , Alabama , in which four girls were killed . Randall 's poetry is characterized by simplicity , realism , and what one critic has called the " liberation aesthetic . " Other well-known poems of his include " A Poet is not a Jukebox " , " Booker T. and W.E.B. " , and " The Profile on the Pillow "
1963 bombing
16th Street Baptist Church bombing
Dudley Randall