Uncrowned Community Builders

Christine Harris Byrd was born on April 5, 1954 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Her mother is Freddie Mae Sims and she has eight siblings, Thelma, Samuel, Cornelius, Patricia, Charles, William, Jerry and Stephanie.

Christine is a graduate of the University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff, where she received a B.S. in Sociology/Government in 1977. In 2003, she graduated from Langston University with an M.Ed in Urban Education. Christine has served as the Program Director of Jesus House, the largest homeless shelter in the state of Oklahoma for 16 years. Jesus House provides housing services to some 2200 nightly at the peak season, in six sites from shelter to transitional housing. She served on the Executive Board of National Coalition for the Homeless and served as Vice President for four years.

Christine acknowledges that she was in an abusive relationship for a number of years. She states that ââ?¬Å?After living on the street homeless for two years, I feel blessed at this point in time to be able to give something back to others. For as I reflect upon my life on the street with my two boys I know now, God had a greater purpose for my life and that was to raise above my tragedies and see the awakening of the ultimate, to never give up. How we face the challenges before us will determine what future roads we may travel and even the roads our children will travel. I donââ?¬â?¢t look at my time of domestic violence and homelessness as ugly secrets to be hid but yet as a victory to say at that, I have won. All I went through was in Godââ?¬â?¢s great plan to empower others, for me to tell my story that others would strive to be over comers. It would have been easy for me to give up but I didnââ?¬â?¢t. I went on to become a national advocate in regards to social ills of our society, to serve under four Governors Task Forces on Homelessness, to serve as Vice-President of the National Coalition for the homeless and numerous other activities. There are really only two ways to approach life ââ?¬â?? as a victim or a fighter. Because I believe in myself I went from what some would call an end to obtaining a M.Ed. from Langston University. Our dreams beckon us to new heights. All that we may need is the courage to move toward them, taking the necessary steps to realize those dreams. The difficult spells in our lives do come to an end. And no matter the depth of our disturbances, we will survive. We forget the depths teach us how to better appreciate the heights.ââ?¬

Christine has been involved in political activism, serving as the president of the Metro Federation of Democratic Women, on numerous committees of the Oklahoma County Democratic Party; on the Convention Planning Committee of the Fifth District Federation of Democratic Women; acting as Vice-Chair of the Districtââ?¬â?¢s Christmas Party Planning Committee, GOTV (Get Out the Vote) and numerous other volunteer positions with the Oklahoma Democratic Party.

She has served as a Board member and/or officer on numerous civic and community organizations, including Leadership Oklahoma City, Park Estate North Cashion-Wildwood Neighborhood Association; Guiding Right, Minority Outreach/Education; University at Arkansas-Pine Bluff Alumni Association and the YWCA. Christine is a member of the NAACP; the Urban League; Langston University Alumni Association; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority; the Urban League; Friends of the Library; Eastern Star/Evelyn J. Roberts Chapter; National Law Center on Homelessness; Top Ladies of Distinction and National Low Income Housing Coalition.

She is the Associate Minister at the New Life Baptist Church, where she has been for nine years. She is also a recruiter for One Church, One Child, an adoption advocacy group. She has been honored by the Oklahoma County Democrats with the Leclia Swain Community Activist Award; Metro Federation Democratic ââ?¬Å?Outstanding Leadership Awardââ?¬; Delta Sigma Theta Sororityââ?¬â?¢s Outstanding Woman; Friends of Community Action Certificate; Wall of Tolerance in Washington, D.C.; Academic Certificate of Achievement from Langston University and a Certificate of Appreciation from VISTA. She also completed and received a Grant Writing Certificate, Housing Urban Development and was involved in Resource Family Training.

Christine has four children, Andre, Dominique, Michael and Sarafina.