Denise McNair exhibit comes to campus
February 20, 2022
The University of Alabama’s Intercultural Diversity Center has partnered with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute to launch the “One Little Girl: Denise McNair and the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing” exhibit.
From Monday, Feb. 21, to Wednesday, March 19, the exhibition will display a series of McNair’s belongings, such as her winter coat, coin purse and other miscellaneous possessions.
The memory of McNair, the youngest of the four 16th Street Baptist Church bombing victims, will serve as an opportunity for students to learn about her legacy and her place within Alabama state history.
The exhibit comes on the heels of McNair’s sister and UA alumna Lisa McNair’s keynote, hosted on Zoom by the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, where she spoke about the reconciliation process, a conversation the Intercultural Diversity Center seeks to advance.
“I hope that when people come to the exhibit, they can feel what they feel and talk about it safely,” said Shemaiah Kenon, the Intercultural Diversity Center’s assistant director. “It’s important to see that and to feel that, to reflect upon that, to just genuinely celebrate her life and celebrate how the community has come together over time to continue pushing forward.”
Kenon said the Intercultural Diversity Center’s goal is to shed awareness in a way that doesn’t feel overbearing.
Students will have the chance to experience this exhibit firsthand at the Intercultural Diversity Center until Wednesday, March 19.
Questions? Email the culture desk at [email protected].
