Pauli Murray Center for History & Social Justice

The Pauli Murray Center lifts up the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, a twentieth-century human rights activist, legal scholar, feminist, author, poet, Episcopal priest, labor organizer, and multiracial Black, LGBTQ+ community member. Center programming in history, education, arts, and activism seeks to advance justice and equity.

Pauli Murray lived one of the most remarkable lives of the twentieth century. S/he was the first Black person to earn a JSD (Doctor of the Science of Law) degree from Yale Law School, a founder of the National Organization for Women and the first Black person perceived as a woman to be ordained an Episcopal priest.

Pauli Murray’s legal arguments and interpretation of the U.S. Constitution were winning strategies for public school desegregation, women’s rights in the workplace, and an extension of rights to LGBTQ+ people based on Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

LGBTQ Center of Durham

The LGBTQ Center of Durham commits to centering the experiences of those who are the most marginalized among us. With a history of providing services supplementing this commitment, we continue to strive to set an example for other communities and organizations to prioritize lifting our family up. With the Host Home Program, LGBTQ+ Youth Center, a re-centered Pride, and other gender inclusive support programs, we are aligned with the promise of serving QTPOC. Our services are open to the entire community and seek to make room for all people.