BACKGROUND:
On October 22, 1893, Hardy and Ada Daniels of Victoria, Texas,
became the proud parents of a small infant girl. Little did they
know that their daughter would grow up to help improve the lives of
women and African Americans in Texas. As an adult she would become
a leader in the fight for equal rights for all.
Young Christia Daniels attended elementary school in Edna. In
1910 she moved to Austin, and attended high school there. After
graduating, she moved on to Prairie View State Normal and
Industrial College before returning to Edna and teaching elementary
school.
In 1918 Christia married Elbert Adair. The couple moved to
Kingsville, where Christia Adair opened a Sunday school. She began
to speak out against gambling and soon became involved in the fight
for women's suffrage. She worked with other women in the community
to help gain support for the 19th Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution, which gave women the right to vote. When it became
law in 1920, Adair was shocked to find out that she still could not
vote in certain elections. In Texas, state laws prevented her from
voting in primary elections because she was African American. This
angered Adair and led her to become active in the Civil Rights
movement.
In 1925 the Adairs moved to Houston, and Christia joined the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
As a member of the NAACP, Adair fought for civil rights and took a
stand against segregation. In 1943 she became executive secretary
of the NAACP in Houston, and would hold this position for twelve
years.
Chief amongst her
many accomplishments was her involvement in Smith v.
Allwright, a court battle that ended unfair voting practices in
Texas. She also helped end segregation in many of Houston's public
buildings and department stores and on the Houston public bus
system.
In 1973 Adair was honored by the State of Texas for her many
achievements, and an existing Harris County park was renamed in her
honor. Ten years later, noted artist John Thomas Biggers
created a mural titled Christia V. Adair, which depicts many
important moments of her life. In 1984 the Texas Women's Hall of Fame
inducted Adair into their league of honor. She died five years
later at the age of 96.
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THE CACHE:
The cache, of course, lies within Christia V.
Adair Park, open daily from 7AM-7PM. You'll be looking for a
clear BioKips SnapWare container holding a pen, a logbook, and
several Matchbox and Hot Wheels diecast cars. After signing the
log, please cover the container well before leaving. Enjoy the view
of Clear Creek!