Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray, Activist, Ordained Minister

Pauli Murray was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1910. She grew up in Durham, North Carolina when her mother passed away when Murray was three years old and she went to live with her grandparents.

Growing up a woman in the south during that time was difficult enough. But Murray had an additional challenge to face: that of growing up a black woman in the south.

Murray graduated from Hunter College but was denied admission to the University of North Carolina law school due to her race. Instead, she entered Howard University Law School and graduated in 1944. She wanted to attend Harvard University to earn an advanced law degree, but was denied admission there because she was a woman. She eventually earned her Masters of Law degree at the University of California, Berkeley.

Murray was a woman of action and a leader. She became a professor of American studies at Brandeis University for five years. She authored the book "States' Laws on Race and Color" in 1950. This book outlined state statues which discriminated against African Americans, Native Americans, Asians and other minority groups.

Murray was one of the founders of the Women's Rights Law Reporter, a periodical which focused exclusively on women's rights, as well as one of the co-founders of the National Organization for Women (NOW). She stood before the 91st Congress of the United States and testified on discrimination against women.

In 1947, Murray was named "Woman of the Year" by Mademoiselle magazine. Yet Murray felt the need to continuously prove herself.

Murray knew that equality for women and blacks was a constant battle. But she took four years off from her law career and activism to write her memoirs "Proud Shoes: the Story of an American Family" first published in 1956 and reprinted in April 1999 as "Proud Shoes" by Beacon Press. She meticulously researched her family history and wrote eloquently about her family and an overview of race relations that spanned almost one hundred years.

"True emancipation lies in the acceptance of the whole past, in deriving strength from all my roots, in facing up to the degradation as well as the dignity of my ancestors," Murray said.[1]

In 1961, Murray was appointed to the President's Commission on the Status of Women. While she served on this commission, she continued her studies at Yale Law School. She also authored a series of papers outlining legal strategy for challenging sex discrimination by states. These papers were eventually published in "Jane Crow and the Law" co-authored by Mary Eastwood.

At the age of 62, Murray embarked upon a new career. She entered seminary school and, in 1977, became the first black woman to become an Episcopalian priest in the United States.

On July 1, 1985, Pauli Murray died of cancer.

The Pauli Murray award was established in 1990 in her honor to commemorate her life's work. It is presented to an individual, a youth and a business. The core of the criteria for each award is the demonstration of human rights, diversity and leadership.

The Pauli Murray Project in Durham, North Carolina where Murray grew up, is a community-based organization which promotes dialogue, education and storytelling to build a stronger Durham community. Their vision is encompassed in this quote from Pauli Murray:

"True Community is based upon equality, mutuality, and reciprocity. It affirms the richness of individual diversity as well as the common human ties that bind us together."[1]

[1] Pauli Murray Project