Song in a Weary Throat

Memoir of an American Pilgrimage

By: Pauli Murray, Patricia Bell-Scott - Introduction by

Narrated by: Allyson Johnson

Poet, memoirist, labor organizer, and Episcopal priest, Pauli Murray helped transform the law of the land. Arrested in 1940 for sitting in the whites-only section of a Virginia bus, Murray propelled that life-defining event into a Howard law degree and a fight against "Jane Crow" sexism.

Her legal brilliance was pivotal to the overturning of Plessy v. Ferguson, the success of Brown v. Board of Education, and the Supreme Court's recognition that the equal protection clause applies to women; it also connected her with such progressive leaders as Eleanor Roosevelt, Thurgood Marshall, Betty Friedan, and Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

Now Murray is finally getting long-deserved recognition: The first African American woman to receive a doctorate of law at Yale, her name graces one of the university's new colleges. Handsomely republished with a new introduction, Murray's remarkable memoir takes its rightful place among the great civil rights autobiographies of the 20th century.

©1987 The Pauli Murray Foundation; Introduction copyright 2018 by Patricia Bell-Scott (P)2018 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Incredible person!

This should be required reading for every high school student in the country. What an amazing woman. One person truly can change the world!

A Pioneering Legacy though Footnoted in History

This autobiography truly introduced and immersed me in the legacy of Rev. Dr. Murray, with whom I had only a passing familiarity. However, I could not put it down once I started this piece. It took me a while to adjust to the narrator’s voice, but after hearing Rev. Dr. Murray’s voice in the few published audio pieces contained on YouTube, I adjusted and appreciated the narration, which authentically captured Murray’s voice. Murray’s life and work as a civil rights activist, attorney, and later episcopal priest were unique but also revolutionary, both intentionally and unintentionally. The autobiography beautifully highlights the perplexity which tells a compelling story. Another womanist, feminist, seminarian, law student, activist, and Black American should definitely add this to their reading list!

Grateful!

What a blessing to learn the story of this powder human! I remember her with even more respect!

Extended Life Story Told Well

Well written. Murray gives a very interesting story of a compelling and meaningful life well lived.

A Life Full of Dreams Filled

WOW! Thank you Pauli Murray for all of the contributions you made to all of humanity. Great read of a titan who shaped much of the 20th Century for progress.