FOUR FIVE LITTLE GIRLS
Carole Denise McNair (Nov. 17,1951- Sept. 15, 1963)
Born the oldest child to parents Chris and Maxine McNair, Denise McNair was the youngest of the 4 young girls murdered in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963. I want to touch on the family of Denise McNair a little more. At the time of the bombing her father, Chris McNair, who was a milkman and a photographer, was a member of a Lutheran Church across town and thought the sound of the bomb was only thunder. He met with his wife and others at the hospital where the injured and dead were taken and identified his daughter by her shoe even before seeing her body. Her father as I stated was a photographer and his photos were often used to show the lives of African Americans in Birmingham and even have been published in Jet Magazine. Chris McNair was involved in politics in Alabama and was rarely known to speak about his youngest daughter later explaining that he was angry and also didn’t want anyone to think he was using Denise to “move up the line”.
Mr. McNair was convicted and prosecuted in 2006 for conspiracy and bribery, in which he plead guilty to the charges. He spoke about how quickly he was convicted for the charges and how long it took for justice to be brought in his daughter’s horrible murder (38 years). Chris McNair passed on May 8, 2019 from cancer.
Denise McNair had two younger sisters Lisa McNair and Kimberly Brock. Both girls were not born yet when the bombing took place. I met Lisa McNair and Denise’s mother Maxine McNair in 2011. They told the story of their beloved Denise so proudly but the pain could still be seen and felt in their words and tone. Myself along with about 1,000 other high school students met at the family’s studio that had been moved and turned into a memorial for Denise. It held photographs of her and also some of her personal items like toys and books. One significant item was the pair of shoes that she had worn on the day of the bombing.
As the youngest of the 4 girls found in the rubble, Denise McNair’s mother approached her father (Denise’s grandfather) exclaiming that she could not find her. In turn, he replied “She’s dead, baby. I’ve got one of her shoes.” This moment was significant because a reporter captured how Maxine held her daughter’s shoe and the pain, anger, and sadness she felt that trickled down to everyone who saw or heard of this particular moment.
Denise McNair should be celebrated as a vibrant, intelligent, and loved “civil rights martyr”. She attended Center Street Elementary School. She was friends with the now former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice who was 8 years old at the time of the bombing. Denise was a member of the choir at 16th Street Baptist Church and lived a comfortable life partaking in piano and dance lessons in her short life. She loved her dog and had a favorite doll which just happened to be a white doll.
To Denise McNair: I am so sorry that the world you were subjected to was filled with so much hatred that it took you away without understanding and appreciating who you truly were and the potential you had for the world. In a sad and crazy way you paved the way for African Americans to reach the level of success, dignity, and freedom we have in 2020 and beyond and you should be proud. At only 11 years old your life was sacrificed but in turn created a transformation that trickled down for generations to come. We love you Denise McNair ❤️
