[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 83 (Friday, May 17, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E621-E622]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       REMEMBRANCE OF THE LIFE OF COMMISSIONER CHRISTOPHER McNAIR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 17, 2019

  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
extraordinary life and legacy of the late Christopher McNair. 
Commissioner McNair was a beloved member of the Birmingham community 
who, even in the

[[Page E622]]

face of unspeakable tragedy, led his community with grace and love 
towards a more equal and just future.
  Commissioner McNair's daughter, Denise, was killed in the 16th St. 
Baptist Church bombing on Sunday, September 15, 1963. It was in that 
moment that the McNair family became forever intertwined with the Civil 
Rights Movement.
  Commissioner McNair was born in Fordyce, Arkansas on November 22, 
1925. Commissioner McNair left his family and 11 younger siblings to 
serve in the Army during World War II. After leaving the service, he 
studied at Tuskegee University and earned a degree in agronomy in 1949. 
It was there that he met Thelma ``Maxine'' Pippen, a fellow classmate, 
and fell in love. After graduation, Commissioner McNair took a job in 
Tupelo, Mississippi teaching veterans and visited Maxine on the 
weekends in Birmingham while staying with her grandparents. The two 
married shortly after and settled in Tupelo.
  When Mrs. McNair became pregnant, the couple moved back to Birmingham 
to be near family. On November 17, 1951, Carol Denise was welcomed to 
the world by her loving parents and became the center of their lives. 
Commissioner McNair was an amateur photographer and photographed 
Denise's childhood, including the iconic photo of her wearing her red 
winter coat and matching hat.
  On the morning of September 15, 1963, Mrs. McNair and Denise left 
their home to attend church at 16th St. Baptist Church. Tensions were 
high in Birmingham as the Civil Rights Movement continued, and there 
were frequent acts of violence throughout the city. That morning was no 
exception--four members of the Ku Klux Klan bombed the basement of the 
church, killing Commissioner McNair's daughter, Denise, 11, Addie Mae 
Collins, 14, Carole Robertson, 14, and Cynthia Wesley, 14. These young 
girls became known to the world as the 4 Little Girls.
  That morning, Commissioner McNair was at home preparing to go to his 
church, St. Paul Lutheran, when he heard the explosion and mistook it 
for thunder. After a neighbor explained what happened, he raced to the 
hospital, and was initially relieved because he did not see Denise's 
name on a list of the injured. Later, though, Mr. and Mrs. McNair were 
asked to walk into a separate room. There, the bodies of the four girls 
were covered, but Commissioner McNair instantly recognized Denise's 
shoe peeking out.
  After overcoming their anger and sadness, the family was ready to 
return to their new normal. The McNairs welcomed two more blessings 
into their lives over the next five years: Lisa McNair, almost exactly 
a year after her sister's death, and Kimberly McNair in 1968. Both 
girls were seen as small miracles to the family and quickly became the 
light of their parents' lives.
  After Denise's death, Commissioner McNair dedicated himself to 
serving the community and the people of Alabama. He knew he needed to 
help the state to reconcile its racial differences and to help heal the 
scars from the 1960s. In 1973, Commissioner McNair was elected the 
first African American State Representative since Reconstruction, and 
in that role, he worked tirelessly to bring positive national attention 
to the city he loved.
  Commissioner McNair spent years in the public eye as an elected 
official, working hard to pass legislation that would help all 
residents. After serving in the legislature, Commissioner McNair took a 
chance and ran for the Jefferson County Commission. His bid for office 
was successful and he was sworn into office in 1986 where he served 
until his retirement in 2001.
  On behalf of Alabama's 7th Congressional District, I ask my 
colleagues to join me in remembering the life of Commissioner 
Christopher McNair, whose election to the Alabama State Legislature 
inspired countless men and women to run for office in the state of 
Alabama, to continue fighting for social justice, and to educate future 
generations about the Civil Rights Movement. May we celebrate the 
totality of his life today and honor his great works during his 28 
years of service to Birmingham and the State of Alabama.

                          ____________________