Pauli Murray: Difference between revisions
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'''Pauli Murray''' was a Black American civil rights activist, writer, and priest. | '''Pauli Murray''' was a Black American civil rights activist, writer, and priest. | ||
==Early life and education== | |||
Pauli was the fourth of six children born to Agnes Fitzgerald and William Murray. Agnes passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage when Pauli was three, and Pauli was sent to live with their aunt and grandparents in Durham, North Carolina. When Pauli was aged six, William was committed to a psychiatric institution, and in 1922 William was beaten to death by one of the institution's white guards.<ref name="Rothberg">{{Cite web |title=Pauli Murray |last=Rothberg |first=Emma |work=National Women's History Museum |date= |access-date=27 February 2022 |url= https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/pauli-murray}}</ref> | |||
Murray was "a fantastic and energetic student" and graduated high school at age 15. They refused to consider attending the North Carolina College for Negroes because they did not like being segregated. They wanted to attend Columbia University, but the school did not admit people [[assigned female at birth]]. So instead, Murray went to Hunter College in New York City, which was an AFAB-only school at the time.<ref name="Rothberg" /> | Murray was "a fantastic and energetic student" and graduated high school at age 15. They refused to consider attending the North Carolina College for Negroes because they did not like being segregated. They wanted to attend Columbia University, but the school did not admit people [[assigned female at birth]]. So instead, Murray went to Hunter College in New York City, which was an AFAB-only school at the time.<ref name="Rothberg" /> | ||
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Murray's writings regarding the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment were published in 1951 as ''States' Laws on Race and Color'', a book that Thurgood Marshall called "The Bible for Civil Rights Lawyers".<ref name="LPC" /> | Murray's writings regarding the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment were published in 1951 as ''States' Laws on Race and Color'', a book that Thurgood Marshall called "The Bible for Civil Rights Lawyers".<ref name="LPC" /> | ||
==Later life== | |||
In 1977, Murray left their legal career and was ordained as an Episcopalian priest, being the first Black person assigned female at birth to achieve this.<ref name="LPC" /> | In 1977, Murray left their legal career and was ordained as an Episcopalian priest, being the first Black person assigned female at birth to achieve this.<ref name="LPC" /> | ||
Pauli Murray died of pancreatic cancer on July 1, 1985, being aged 74.<ref name="LPC" /> | Pauli Murray died of pancreatic cancer on July 1, 1985, being aged 74.<ref name="LPC" /> | ||
==Gender== | |||
Pauli wrote to their family and referred to themself as a "he/she personality". If Pauli was alive today, they might identify as [[nonbinary]], [[genderqueer]], or another [[gender variant]] term. Pauli did attempt multiple times to access gender [[transition]] care, including [[hormone therapy]], but they were denied by [[gatekeeper]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pronouns & Pauli Murray |author= |work=Pauli Murray Center |date= |access-date=27 February 2022 |url= https://www.paulimurraycenter.com/pronouns-pauli-murray}}</ref> | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||