Overview

Lisa McNair was born in 1964, one year after her older sister, Denise, was murdered in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Dear Denise is a collection of forty letters from Lisa addressed to the sister she never knew, but in whose shadow of sacrifice and lost youth she was raised. These letters offer an intimate look into the life of a family touched by one of the most heinous tragedies of the Civil Rights Movement. Written in a genuine, accessible, and familiar voice, Lisa's letters apprise her late sister of all that has come to pass in the years since her death. Lisa considers her own challenges and accomplishments as a student in remarkably different--and very racially complex--schools; the birth of their baby sister, Kim; their father's election to the Alabama legislature; her evolving sense of faith and place, and sometimes lack thereof, within the Black church; her college experiences; and her own sense of self as she's matured into adulthood. She reveals some of the family's difficulties and health challenges, and shares some of their joys and celebrations. An unswervingly candid, gentle, and nuanced book, Dear Denise is a testament to one singular life lived bravely and truthfully (if sometimes confusedly or awkwardly), during decades of bewildering social change and in the shadow of one life never fully lived.

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9798228726925

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Lisa McNair is a Birmingham native and the oldest living sister of Denise McNair, one of the four girls killed in the infamous 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church. Lisa is a renowned national public speaker on the topic of racial reconciliation and also leads antiracism workshops. Dara Brown has worn many hats in their life so far, and is always making headspace to wear more. They've studied opera and classical theater, and find that the tools they've learned in those art forms translate fluidly into the creation of authentic and embodied narration. She loves play in all its forms, and believes that when we invite ourselves and others to play, we get an opportunity to look at things differently and build exciting communities and worlds together. When they're not telling stories, Dara loves using her imagination to practice energy work, teach music, compose silly songs, and to create all sorts of playful pieces of art. She lives in Rogers Park with her partner, JJ, and their beautiful angel of a cat, Waffles.

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