December’s Friend and Neighbor is the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, an iconoclast and barrier breaker. Pauli Murray has more “firsts” under their belt than a bus full of the rest of us. A truly historic, take-no-guff, civil rights activist, s/he continues to inspire and shine a light.
This is from the Pauli Murray Center website:
“The Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray was a twentieth-century human rights activist, legal scholar, author, labor organizer, poet, Episcopal priest, multiracial Black, LGBTQ+ Durhamite who lived one of the most remarkable lives of the 20th century. S/he was the first Black person to earn a JSD (Doctor of the Science of Law) degree from Yale Law School, a founder of the National Organization for Women and the first Black person perceived as a woman to be ordained an Episcopal priest.”
Kristin Hauser, the communications and programming coordinator for the Pauli Murray Center shared the Center’s desire for people to visit, and included some alarming statistics about historic spaces.
“Thanks so much for reaching out and for featuring Pauli in your newsletter! We’d love to encourage folks to visit Pauli Murray’s childhood home and our inaugural exhibit. As a national historic site, we are part of just 4% of historic spaces that focus on the experience of women and 3% to the experience of African Americans, so it’s incredible to have this space here in Durham. We don’t have ‘standard’ open hours, but are open for tours and events throughout the week (including most Wednesdays and a few Saturdays per month).”
To reach the Center, and read more about the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, click this sentence.
The photo is from the Paul Murray Center for History and Social Justice home web page.
