[Durham INC] Editorial: A celebration for Saint Pauli Murray (Herald-Sun)

[John Schelp]

Editorial: A celebration for Saint Pauli Murray
The Herald Sun  
Herald-Sun, 22 July 2012 (heraldsun.com)


Pauli Murray was a trailblazer long before she became the first African
American woman to serve as an Episcopal priest, in 1977.

She
was a civil rights leader, an activist for women, a lawyer and an
author. She overcame any number of obstacles, such as being denied
admission to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill because of
her race, and Harvard because of her gender. She was a graduate of
Howard Law School (first in her class, and the only woman), the first
African American to earn a J.S.D. from Yale Law School, and a scholar
who wrote about employment equality, theological perspectives, and
state laws dealing with race. She was a founding member of the National
Organization for Women.

This week, the Rev. Pauli Murray’s life
and legacy were celebrated at St. Titus’ Episcopal Church in Durham.
Murray was recently added to the Episcopal Church’s book “Holy Women,
Holy Men: Celebrating the Saints.” Her day of celebration is July 1.

Sainthood
in this case is different than the more widely known form in
Catholicism. Saints are not canonized or prayed to, but rather are held
up and honored in a the “Holy Women, Holy Men” calendar as significant
examples of the faith. 

Murray is that, and an exemplifier of the power of courage and justice-seeking as well.

Murray
grew up in Durham, and the city should be honored that Murray is one of
its own. Her memoir “Proud Shoes: The Story of an American Family”
describes her upbringing in Durham. 

The Pauli Murray Project
at Duke (paulimurrayproject.org) is seeking to transform her childhood
home into a center for dialogue and social activism. The Pauli Murray
Project acquired the West End home last year.

The Durham
community has remembered Murray in a number of ways, including a
historical marker, community mural and various events. 

That she has received wider acclaim is a great thing.

Mayme Webb-Bledsoe, who chairs the board of the Pauli Murray Project, called Murray “before her time.” 

“I
cannot believe how, in such a short time, the community has embraced
her. At a grassroots level, people are finding a way to connect to her.
As a West End native, I couldn’t be prouder,” Webb-Bledsoe said.

Murray’s story is one of struggle and triumph. It is to be cherished and learned from.
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