A center dedicated to social justice and equity in the legacy of Durham's very own Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray was officially inaugurated in a grand opening ceremony on Sept. 7.
The Pauli Murray Center for Social Justice and History is based the building and grounds of Murray's childhood home.
A historic figure who was as unique as she was passionate in her justice-oriented mission, Murray was influential as a pioneering civil rights activist, feminist and Episcopal priest of LGBTQ identity.
The Center was inaugurated in a grand opening at 906 Carroll Street, accompanied by live music, poetry readings, youth activities and even meditation opportunities.
In 2021, WUNC debuted "Pauli," a podcast about the life and lasting influence of Murray.
The Center’s leadership said it’s a crowning moment for the Durham community who fought to save the home when it was slated for demolition around two decades ago. The home was preserved by grassroots advocacy and with the help of institutions like Duke University and the Self-Help Ventures Fund. It was built in 1898 by Murray’s own grandparents in Durham’s West End neighborhood.
“Our name is very intentional,” said Angela Mason Thorpe, the Center’s executive director. “It’s not a house museum, it’s not your typical or traditional cultural space. It is really our aspiration to use history as a tool by which to activate contemporary social justice work.”
Its programming, mostly virtual or in satellite locations, will offer educational resources and trainings to educators as well students ranging from kindergarten to college rooted in the work of Murray.
The Center recently hosted a pro bono clinic to assist LGTBQ people with name and gender changes in partnership with the North Carolina Bar Foundation.
In 2015, Murray's home was named a National Treasure by National Trust for Historic Preservation and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2016.
As part of the National Register of Historic Places, it makes up the fewer than 3% of 95,000 national historic sites dedicated to the African American experience. It’s part of the fewer than 2% of such sites dedicated to women and also of the less than 1% dedicated to LGBTQ people, according to the center.
“When you think of the Pauli Murray Center, it is truly one of one in the United States of America,” Thorpe said.
Dedication of new space was a years-long endeavor
The debut of the new space and grounds were a long time coming since the Center was launched in 2012.
Located in a historically Black and working class neighborhood that has gentrified over time, part of the Center’s mission is to “steward the space where we exist, by preserving the historical integrity … working alongside neighbors to amplify and preserve the history of this neighborhood,” said Thorpe.
Most recently, Murray’s achievements were commemorated on the U.S. quarter. A coin featuring her well-known grin below thick glass frames was released in January. The U.S. Mint named Murray the 11th notable woman to be featured in its American Women Quarter series.
