Pauli Murray: The Life of a Pioneering Feminist and Civil Rights Activist

by Terry Catasús Jennings, Rosita Stevens-Holsey

Pauli Murray was a trailblazer who spent her life fighting for civil rights and women's rights. Writer, lawyer, activist, priest, Pauli was a champion for justice. Her life is immortalized in this biography told in verse.

Pauli Murray was a thorn in the side of white America demanding justice and equal treatment for all. She was a queer civil rights and women's rights activist before any movement advocated for either--the brilliant mind that, in 1944, conceptualized the arguments that would win Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka; and in 1964, the arguments that won women equality in the workplace.

Throughout her life, she fought for the oppressed, not only through changing laws, but by using her powerful prose to influence those who could affect change. She lived by her convictions and challenged authority to demand fairness and justice regardless of the personal consequences. Without seeking acknowledgment, glory, or financial gain for what she did, Pauli Murray fought in the trenches for many of the rights we take for granted. Her goal was human rights and the dignity of life for all.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Poetry, Middle Grade, History, LGBT, Historical

280 pages, Hardcover

First published January 4, 2022

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosita Stevens-Holsey and Terry Catasus Jennings tell the important, inspiring, and true story of an extraordinary historic figure that all young readers should meet. I was not aware of Pauli Murray, or of her many groundbreaking contributions to the civil rights and women's rights movements, and I'm grateful to the authors for the education. Pauli was a force for equality. A force for change. A force for good. This biography in verse will be an important addition to classrooms and libraries everywhere.

[Nat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for the way this book sparked so much curiosity. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve read a book that has prompted so much additional and contextual nonfiction reading, Googling of images, reading of maps, and inspiration for further reading. Pumped to put this in my classroom library!

[Kathie]

One of the co-authors sent me a PDF of this February 2022 middle-grade nonfiction release, and I’m so glad she did! I had never heard of Pauli Murray, but since I’ve been focusing on amazing women for Women’s History Month, it came to me at the perfect time.

Pauli was a Black activist, lawyer, poet, and priest. Raised by her aunt and mother’s family in North Carolina, Pauli struggled to get an education that would allow her to go to university in New York and escape the oppressive Jim Crow laws of the South. While facing poverty and limited opportunities both because of her race and sex, she still managed to lay important groundwork necessary for civil and feminist rights changes. Eventually, her legal research was integral to overturning the Jim Crow laws, although she wasn’t credited for it. She then fought against Jane Crow and pushed for women to receive the same rights as men while feeling like she didn’t fit within the accepted definition of her gender. My favourite quote, “Her work created ladders for others to climb toward equality,” summed up how I felt about her after reading this book, and I think she’s such an inspiring person for young people to know.

I really loved that this novel in verse didn’t use invented dialogue, as I feel it can take away from a story’s authenticity. Since Pauli was a poet, it felt like the right format and focused on the most critical aspects of her life. This 288-page book also included photographs, so it’s very accessible for young readers. I would recommend it for Gr. 4-7.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

The verse is not great. I also question the citations which have a lot of Murray’s wrks (good) but also way more online articles than books. Did all the articles get their info from the same 5 sources? This felt especially true while trying to find information on Murray's great grandmother who is listed as "part Cherokee" in a lot of articles but that seems to be as far as it goes for verification making this all feel like part of a research echo chamber. It's different for BIPOC figures but so many white people claim to be part Cherokee or part some other tribe that it's a big red flag--especially since that isn't always how tribal enrollment works.

[Brooke - TheBrookeList · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing and thought-provoking biography of feminist and civil rights advocate, Pauli Murray. The book is written in-verse and reads easily and quickly. Feels like a fitting tribute to an intelligent woman who was also a poet. Her yearning for opportunities denied to her because of her race and gender are relatable and well-expressed. Often those denied so many times edge in bitter, and I got a small sense of that here, but don’t find it unreasonable. It felt motivating.

I’d love to read some of her own writing to get a better feel for her personality - Proud Shoes or her own autobiography. I had the sense this modern author was really playing up the “homosexual” aspect that she did not name herself. I enjoyed being introduced to her hard work for those who followed in her wake. I especially enjoyed reading about her legal education and work.

Read as a nomination in the nonfiction book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pauli Murray: The Life of a Pioneering Feminist and Civil Rights Activist passionately portrays the struggles of a dedicated activist who was instrumental in both the civil rights movement and the women’s movement. Pauli Murray began advocating for change in the 1940’s before the movements of the 1960’s even existed. Facing obstacle after obstacle on account of her race and her gender, Murray’s determination and outrage never wavered. A brilliant legal mind, she eloquently outlined the reasons why Plessy vs Ferguson, the basis for separate but equal discrimination was unconstitutional. Ruth Bader Ginsburg used Murray’s work to win a landmark case against gender discrimination. Murray was friends with Eleanor Roosevelt and a founding member of the National Organization for Women. The list of her achievements in a widely ranging career goes on and on. Readers won’t soon forget the contributions of Pauli Murray after finishing this book.

[Heather S · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a phenomenal historical figure, Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray! I only became aware of Murray about two years ago and have enjoyed reading about her since (and watching the Amazon doc as well as various YouTube vids.). This book is written in free verse which I was unsure of at first but was pleased to find what an enjoyable read it was. It didn't take very long to read and I learned even more about Pauli!! Pauli was an attorney, poet, activist for civil rights and women's rights and later ordained Priest in the Episcopal church, and much more I'm surely forgetting. Accomplishments a mile long! The book was co-written by Terry Catasus Jennings and Rosita Stevens-Holsey (who is her maternal niece!!!). I loved all the photos as well. It would be a nice gift for any age reader and I truly feel everyone should know about Pauli and will be just as fascinated with her as I am. Bravo, ladies! Great book.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am seeing more and more biographies for middle grade and YA coming out in a verse format, and I like it. Murray was a pioneer in with an upbringing that shaped who she was and how she fought her entire life that included law and religious degrees. She was a tireless advocate and she didn't like being told what to do or how to be (insert story about Eleanor Roosevelt). But the shape of the story told in verse goes straight to the heart of showing Murray's authentic self but contextualizes that some vocabulary didn't exist when she was fighting the fight. The authors discuss in great detail how colorism affected Murray and her entire family. Jim Crow laws. Discrimination.

It's a strong verse biography that is peppered with pictures from her life that make her more real than the powerhouse of a person she was as read on the page.

[Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A biography of little known civil rights activist Pauli Murray, who grew up poor in North Carolina, and was befriended by Eleanor Roosevelt in her 20s as she struggled in school but eventually graduated at the top of her law school class at Howard University only be denied admission to Harvard because she was a woman, but eventually does the research to defeat Jim Crow laws using the 14th amendment that is used to used in the Brown vs. Board of Education case. She fought for workers rights and eventually womens rights and eventually became one of the first ordained female priests in the Episcopal church. A quick read as the book is written in free verse. A great biography for middle graders who are learning about American civil rights but want to know about one of the other leaders besides Martin Luther King, Jr. or Rosa Parks.

[Nicole Lesperance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say Pauli Murray is someone I never learned about in history class, and that is an absolute shame. Pauli was hugely influential in both the civil rights and the women's rights movements, and this book talks about the intersections between those two movements in absolutely fascinating detail. The verse structure makes this both a quick read and an emotionally charged one, and I think it will make the book more accessible to a lot of middle grade readers. Such a hugely important subject, an incredible person, and I hope this reaches tons of young people so they learn an essential piece of American history!

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned the name Pauli Murray in a discussion of lesser known Black activists and sought to learn more. In looking for a tangible (vs. electronic) book, I accidentally requested a young adult book that was written as poetry. I skimmed it for facts rather than as poetry, but occasionally the poetic constructions said, "Notice me." How typical, that she contributed the arguments used in Brown v. Board of Education but wasn't acknowledged!

[Stephanie Wildman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pauli Murray is a feminist shero who not enough people know about. This wonderful book by Rosita Stevens-Holsey & Terry Catasus Jennings aims to fix that gap with this tour de force aimed at MG readers, but really for everyone. Teachers, librarians, parents - anyone who cares about social justice - take note.

[Kimberly Zavala · Rating 4 out of 5]

The information is fantastic; the writing is average. I love a good novel in verse, but this one fell flat. Random line breaks and repetitive phrases "burning fingers" took a lot of the literary value out of it for me. 4 Stars for the info; 3 Stars for the writing. Some conclusions about Pauli seem to be a stretch, a surmise, without any real documentation or proof.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Yellow Jacket and Terry Catasús Jennings for sharing a copy of this book with me to review. I think my favorite type of novel in verse is biography/memoir and so when I found out this was a biography novel in verse, I moved it right on up my tbr pile and I am so excited I did! It was absolutely wonderful and a great glimpse into the life of Pauli Murray. More of these stories need to be told-of the unknown or lesser known heroes who fought for equal rights. I definitely recommend.

[Gail Burgess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Designed for middle school-- but packed with information for any age. Written in semi-poetic form. I had never heard of Pauli Murray and to a certain extent, after reading the book, I can understand why not. She really was not given the recognition for her work at the time -- because she was a black woman. Definitely she helped pave the way for folks who came after her.

[Sophia · Rating 2 out of 5]

they only use she/her pronouns for Murray, repeatedly use the "trapped in a woman's body" phrase, and even say "hermaphrodite" when they should have said intersex. there are many resources and experts on trans-inclusive language and why this matters - I wish the authors had consulted them before writing this.

[Carol A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of Pauli Murray or her many groundbreaking contributions to the civil rights and women's rights movements. From a young age, Pauli Murray was aware of her identity and fought passionately for her beliefs throughout her life. This biography addresses challenging issues and serves as an excellent read for both young readers and adults.

[mg · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 stars rounded up to 4 bc the content is important and more folks need to know about Pauli Murray!

(I found some of the writing clunky and difficult to follow at times, sadly... I'll still recommend it to strong readers, though!)

[Jason Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She ensconced the laws
that would make it possible
for each human's rights to flourish
so that someday
some little girl
who wanted to wear boy's clothes
could do just that."

Thank you, Pauli Murray, for the foundations of my rights as a transgender American.

[Gabriel Weaver · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was elated to see that there was book on her life (and one for kids!). I was honestly somewhat disappointed in it, though. Why? It really read more like a timeline of events than anything else. I don't quite see why it was written in verse when they decided to write it so unpoetically.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

A biography, surprisingly readable in verse. What a remarkable person Pauli Murray was! I am grateful for all she did to unite our country in its commitment to civil rights - including women's rights. Highly recommend.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book for young readers --- and also a good intro for adults. Highly recommended

[Anne Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on the life a true-life activist who contributed to many, many aspects of Civil and Women's rights. Why have I not heard of her before?

[Robin McCool · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very educational in verse. A quick read, but unsure if my students are ready for the diversity of the topic.

[JA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where was this kind of gorgeous prose and powerful storytelling on the yearning for justice when I was a student? When I was teaching in the classroom? Recommending to everyone! Preach!

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written for ages 10 - 14, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned so much about someone who needs to be better known for her pioneering work. Pauli Murray knew who she was and what she believed in, and fought for those beliefs all her life. The book is written in an engaging manner, and I truly could not put it down.

[MaryBeth Nolt · Rating 2 out of 5]

The subject’s life is remarkable; unfortunately, the poetic format didn’t really work for me

[Heather Laskos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating look at the life of a person who had great influence on the civil rights movement and modern feminism.

[PottWab Regional Library]

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