Pauli Murray

Before the modern LGBTQ rights movement, there was Pauli Murray. Yet most Americans have never heard the name.Anna Pauline Murray devoted a lifetime to challenging injustice across race, gender, faith, and identity. As an attorney, she helped to establish the Congress of Racial Equality, and later informed the NAACP’s fight to end school segregation. Murray also helped preserve the word “sex” in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, expanding workplace protections for women, and co-founded the National Organization for Women.Throughout her life, Murray struggled with gender identity, and many scholars today recognize her as a transgender pioneer. After decades as an attorney, activist, and educator, Murray began studying at General Theological Seminary in New York. She earned a Master of Divinity Degree in 1976 and became the first Black woman to be ordained as an Episcopal Priest.The Pauli Murray Family Home, designated a National Historic Landmark in 2016. Today, the home houses the Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice and, since 2024, has been part of the African American Civil Rights Network—preserving the story of someone whose vision changed America by insisting that no one should be left unseen. The Joy Trip Project celebrates the enduring legacy of Black American History. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of Black American historical figures, events and cultural contributions.#unhiddenblackhistory #NationalParkService #yourparkstory #NationalGeographic #unhiddenminuteBecome a paid subscriber to the Unhidden Minute Podcast for one year and receive a free copy The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors 10th Anniversary Edition by James Edward Mills. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jamesedwardmills.substack.com/subscribe