Welcome to our 14th #womanoftheweek! Today, we will be discussing Pauli Murray, an African American African American Activist! Enjoy!
Major accomplishments
-Awarded the J.S.D, a law doctorate, and she was the first African American to do so.
-Co-founded National Organization of Women
Pauli Murray was born in Baltimore, Maryland on November 20th, 1910. She was a woman of many talents and traits such as a poet, a homosexual, a writer, and mostly a Civil Rights activist. Her parents passed away at an early age, and she moved between North Carolina and New York. She applied for colleges in North Carolina, however, she was rejected because of her race. This motivated her to go to Howard University for a degree in law. Murray graduated as the valedictorian of her class in 1954. She quickly became involved in the civil rights movement.
In 1940, Murray was arrested for trying to diminish segregation in public transportation. Consequently, she co-founded the Congress of Racial Equality to help give African American more rights. She wanted to continue her studies at Harvard, but she was rejected due to her gender. As a result, she attended the University of California at Berkeley and received a law doctorate called J.S.D from Yale University. She was the first African American to be awarded such an honor.
Murray wrote multiple books and autobiographies which included poetry such as “Song in a Weary Throat” and “States’ Law of Race and Color” after she decided to retire from law. In addition, she and multiple other women founded NOW. Moreover, in 1977, Murray became the first African AMerican woman to become an Episcopial Priest. After her death, Yale University announced that they would name a residential college after her. Murray played a major role in gaining rights for African Americans and more specifically women. Her journey was a tough one, and her gender, race, and sexaulity constantly had people questioning her abilities and intentions. However, she stayed true to herself and didn’t hide who she was. She is an inspiration for many women today.
This is a Woman of the Week article, a weekly deep dive into an amazing women of color. For more incredible stories like this one, check out our article on Joan Baez and Mary Jackson! Also, make sure to follow us at @likeagirlglobal on Instagram for more updates and original content!
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