ABOUT THE BOOK

Pauli Murray The Life of a Pioneering Feminist & Civil Rights Activist

By Rosita Stevens-Holsey & Terry Catasús Jennings

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 extraordinary life is immortalized in this riveting 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.

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pauli in the press

  • "This is a compelling biography of an 'unsung force'-an inspiring and transformative figure who broke barriers pivotal to both the civil rights and women's movements."

    Elizabeth O’Gorek | Horn Book Magazine

  • "This inspiring biography in verse aims to promote the life and work of the lesser-known yet influential Black civil rights activist and feminist."

    Booklist Reviews

  • "The two most important movements of the Twentieth Century: civil rights and women's rights. This new biography capsulizes important events and accomplishments of an iconoclast who would not take 'No' for an answer. Young readers will be drawn to the story of Pauli's bravery and pivotal role in history."

    Christian F. Nunes | President, National Organization for Women

  • Let me express my extreme pleasure with “ Pauli Murray The life of a Pioneering Feminist & Civil Rights Activist”. The content was informative and the “Verse” style in which it was written made it a pleasure to read. I recommend this publication for everyone, young and old. This book would make an excellent gift for any occasion.

    Daniel Bledsoe | Durham, NC

  • The inclusion of too-often-unrecognized details of Murray’s accomplishments in education, law, and activism, combined with the harsh sociopolitical context she emerged from, make for an undeniably potent story. Ultimately, this work presents thoughtful components of a portrait of this queer, Black, heroic figure.

    Kirkus Reviews

  • The authors, Rosita Stevens-Holsey (Dr. Murray’s niece) and Terry Catasús Jennings do a masterful job, starting with Murray’s childhood and tracing all her experiences that led her to become a social justice warrior.

    Deb Aronson | Author & Editor

  • With a Black woman now slated to sit on the Supreme Court, children today may have trouble grasping the extent of the struggle that went before. In this book, the authors provide middle schoolers with an introduction, written in verse, to a woman who helped pave the way.

    Elizabeth O’Gorek | Editor

  • I just love how this book can be the center of a family learning activity. It's written in a manner that is inclusive of youth, adolescents, and adults.

    Mia Ross | CCO iammai CREATIVE

  • "Pauli Murray influenced and inspired me in ways that dramatically expanded my life and my work. I only knew her from her writings, yet, she greatly informed and enhanced my knowledge and perspective on the essential questions of race, gender, and class."

    Molly McGregor | Co-Founder & Executive Director of the National Women’s History Alliance

  • I love the way it is written. It is so easy to read and just full of great information. I am so happy to have found it.

    Elaine B. Holtz | Host & Producer
    Womens Spaces Radio Show

  • Photographs and a timeline anchor the events of Murray's life and her pivotal contributions to history. This is an inspiring text which expertly delivers the story of the famed civil rights activist and renown feminist to young readers. Highly recommended.

    Little Bee Books