Family

Family. . [First panel] Inspiring Family , Grandfather Robert G. Fitzgerald came south after the Civil War as a teacher and an activist for democracy. He was immensely proud of his service in the Union Army and Navy and often chose to be photographed in his uniform. , Grandmother Cornelia Smith Fitzgerald was a devout Episcopalian born into slavery. She was an herbalist and gardener with a quick wit and sharp tongue. Her backyard sermonizing made her a role model for young Pauli. ,

“The ideals and influences within my own family had made me a lifelong fighter against all forms of inequality and injustice.” – Pauli Murray, Proud Shoes

, (Photo caption) Robert and Cornelia Fitzgerald with their daughters (from left) Mary Pauline, Agnes Giorgianna, Sarah Ann (Sallie) and Roberta Annetta, circa 1890-1895. Courtesy of Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University , [Second panel] Generations of Family Activism , Pauli Murray's determination was nurtured by the family members that raised her after her mother, Agnes, died of a cerebral hemorrhage and her father was unable to care for her. , Grandparents Robert and Cornelia Fitzgerald embodied their belief in African American dignity and equality. They proudly built their home in Durham's West End neighborhood, contributing to its reputation for nurturing African American activists and engaged citizens. , Aunts Pauline and Sallie, school teachers and influential Episcopalians, played pivotal roles across Durham's African American communities. Despite economic hardship and the oppressive weight of white supremacy, young Pauli thrived. She learned to believe in herself, strengthened by her faith, and aspired to improve the world. , [Photo captions] , (Top) The Fitzgerald sisters, circa 1895-1898. Seated, left to right: Roberta Annetta Fitzgerald, Mary Pauline Fitzgerald, and Maria Louise Fitzgerald. Standing, left to right: Agnes Giorgianna Fitzgerald, and Sallie Fitzgerald. Macbeth Studio, Baltimore, MD. Courtesy of Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University. , (Bottom) Aunt Pauline Fitzgerald Dame and Pauli Murray pose in front of a house in Princeton, NJ, 1926. Courtesy of Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University. , [Third panel] A Family of Her Own Creation , As an adult, Pauli created an intimate activist family that included long-time partner Irene Barlow and close friends Maida Springer and Carolyn Ware. Pauli's surviving address book from the 1970s details her diverse contacts which ranged from civil rights leaders Coretta Scott King and Dorothy Height to Howard University law professor Leon Ransom to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. , Pauli also remained close to her birth family. Aunts Pauline and Sallie spent their final years living with her in New York, and she maintained warm ties with her siblings, nieces and nephews. , The far-reaching social networks sustained Pauli intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. They were often the backbone of her political capital, the matrix of her organizing efforts and on occasion, her financial safety net. , [Photo captions (top to bottom)] , . Pauli Murray and longtime friend and international labor activist Maida Kemp Springer in Princeton, NJ, 1979. Courtesy of Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University. , . Irene Barlow, cira 1965-1972, New York, NY. Courtesy of Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University. , . First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, Hyde Park, NY.