This Week Take a Hike With Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray
Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray was an African American lawyer, labor organizer, writer, and human rights activist who dedicated their life to advocating for women, people of color, and other underserved communities. Born in 1910, Murray experienced profound loss early in life after the death of their mother and later their father, who died after being beaten at a segregated state hospital.
A gifted student, Murray earned a BA from Hunter College and a law degree from Howard University School of Law. Inspired by the Harlem Renaissance, Murray became friends with Langston Hughes and encountered influential figures including W. E. B. Du Bois and Mary McLeod Bethune. In their twenties, Murray changed their name from “Anne Pauline” to “Pauli” while reflecting deeply on questions of identity and belonging.
While at Howard, Murray challenged the “separate but equal” doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson, arguments that later helped shape Brown v. Board of Education. Although denied admission to Harvard University because of gender, Murray went on to publish a study on state segregation laws that Thurgood Marshall called “the bible” of Brown v. Board of Education. In 1956, Murray became the first Black woman to earn a doctorate in law from Yale Law School.
Throughout the 1960s, Murray advocated for civil rights and women’s rights, especially for Black working-class women, and later taught at Brandeis University. In 1977, Murray became the first Black person perceived as a woman ordained as an Episcopal priest. Murray passed away in 1985 from cancer, after a lifelong commitment to faith, education, and human dignity.
