The Spiritual Legacy of Pauli Murray

The Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray is currently being rediscovered for her activism against racial, gender, and economic injustice and her advocacy for reconciliation between all Americans. But her trailblazing work as the first Black female Episcopal priest in United States and her lifelong commitment to spiritual values often goes overlooked in discussions of her legacy. We are honored to have featured the Very Reverend Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, the Dean of the Episcopal Divinity School at Union Theological Seminary, as our keynote speaker for this discussion. Dean Douglas, as one of the first ten Black women ordained in the Episcopal Church USA, is directly inspired by Pauli Murray’s legacy.

Other panelists including activists of today’s generation who are following in Pauli’s footsteps also joined us for the conversation, including Kianna Ruff, the Rev. Dr. Jé Exodus Hooper, and Stephen Whitfield.

We examined how Murray’s religious commitments and interfaith action provided the foundation for a legacy of love, compassion, and hope.