In a dark time for a Black queer activist's legacy, a small Durham church filled with light.
Dozens crowded into St. Titus' Episcopal Church last Thursday (July 17) evening to honor the late Rev. Pauli Murray, a 20th-century civil rights activist raised in the city.
The celebration came amidst an uncertain time for Murray's legacy.
The federal government cut more than $300,000 of funding for the recently-opened Pauli Murray Center, and references to Murray's queerness and history have been censored or altogether erased on federal websites. However, Murray was also posthumously bestowed the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, one of North Carolina's highest awards.
The Rev. Racquel Gill, board member of the Pauli Murray Center, underlined the importance of telling Murray's story.
"Pauli's story is not just a Black story, it's not just a female story, but it is a deeply American story," she said. "One that shows both the honor and the degradation of our history and our past so that we can light a path for the future."
"Commemoration requires that we continue to act," she continued, encouraging attendees to support Murray's legacy by donating to the center. Gifts made until July 31 will be matched up to $30,000 by donors Susan and Michael Hersfield, she added.
A Beacon of Hope
At 6:30 p.m., the church was hot, overflowing with worshippers who fanned themselves with pamphlets or pride flags or "Black Votes Matter" signs as the service started up.
"We are on sacred ground," the Rev. Valerie J. Mayo, rector of St. Titus', began. "We are in a house of worship where Pauli theirself (sic) once worshiped as a child."
This month marked Titus' 16th annual commemoration of Murray — whom scholars posthumously refer to with they/them, she/her, and he/him pronouns — and the 13th anniversary of Murray's sainthood in the Episcopal Church.
"Services like these are very much a grounding presence and an anchoring practice," Jesse Huddleston, board chair of the Pauli Murray Center, said. "I remember that in July, we're going to gather and sing these hymns and hold hands and hug one another, and that does the heart good."
Attendees sang hymns like Lift Every Voice and Sing, listened to a drum concert and a choir composed of singers from across the city, and responded as one to a litany of thanksgiving.
"Jesus the teacher, who taught through both words and actions, thank you Pauli's love of learning and her strength to pass that learning on," the Rev. Lindsey Ardrey said. "Even in ways that challenged the sensibilities of those around her."
"In thanksgiving, we remember Pauli's work," the congregation replied.
'The Work Continues'
The Rev. Melanie Mullen, a guest speaker from the episcopal diocese of Washington, D.C., told stories from Murray's life, like how they organized a successful sit-in protest before "sit-in" was a term.
"Our sibling was baptized in fury," she said. "And there's very few Christians who can talk about being really angry all the time, but not have it be destructive." Today, she said, Murray's legacy is a reminder to act against the cruelty of ICE raids or Medicaid cuts.
As board chair Huddleston put it: "The work continues."
