Lisa McNair

Lisa McNair

Lisa McNair is a sister of Denise McNair, one of the four little girls who were killed in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham on September 15, 1963. Denise was the only child of Chris and Maxine McNair at the time of her death; Lisa and her sister Kimberly were born later and learned about Denise from family members, particularly their grandmother. Today Lisa is a public speaker who shares the story of her family and how they navigated life after Denise’s murder. She says that even after being devastated by such a heinous act of hatred, her parents taught their children never to hate, but instead to love everyone and take time to understand how others experience life. On her website, Lisa says that “love is the only way for understanding, reconciliation, and peace in the world in which we live.” 

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Kimberly McNair
Sarah Collins Rudolph
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Portrait: Charles (Chuck) Morgan, Jr.