316: Fighting Jane Crow: The Multifaceted Life and Legacy of Pauli Murray

Pauli Murray might be one of the most influential but
little-known figures in modern American history. Born in 1910 in
Baltimore, Murray, who was a prominent lawyer and activist, went
on to shape American law, society and culture throughout much of
the 20th century. Publicly, Murray is remembered for
contributions to feminist legal thought and in particular, the
concept of “Jane Crow,” which recognized how black women struggle
with racism and sexism. Meanwhile, in private, Pauli Murray’s
fluid gender and sexual identity clashed with the era’s rigid
categories.





All of this made Pauli Murray a steadfast proponent of equality
and a committed fighter against injustice of all kinds. It even
led Murray to the ordained ministry, where the fight for a
reconciled humanity could be waged in the spiritual realm. So for
that reason -- and many more -- this week on BackStory, Ed and
Joanne explore the life and legacy of Pauli Murray. 





*Note: Pauli Murray often self-identified as a woman and used
“she” and “her” pronouns. You can see this in public writings,
like Murray’s autobiography. But, in private, Murray grappled
with a nuanced gender identity. This identity was often at odds
with the strict gender and sexual constructs of the 20th century,
and it was often in flux. For that reason, the question of
pronouns is a complicated one in the case of Pauli Murray. So
after careful consideration, we decided to opt out of using any
pronouns when referring to Pauli Murray throughout the episode.
Instead, you’ll hear us say “Pauli Murray,” “Murray” or sometimes
just “Pauli.” But you’ll hear our guests alternate between
different pronouns. We’ve let each guest decide for themselves
which pronoun they think best fits when talking about
Pauli.