“Song in a Weary Throat: Memoir of an American Pilgrimage“
by Pauli Murray
Liveright, 2018, 624 pages

At A Glance: “Song in a Weary Throat: Memoir of an American Pilgrimage” is a compelling memoir that details the influential life and activism of Pauli Murray, a pivotal figure in the civil rights and women’s rights movements, and her struggles with gender identity.

Overview: “Song in a Weary Throat: Memoir of an American Pilgrimage” by Pauli Murray is a powerful memoir that chronicles the life and activism of Pauli Murray, a trailblazing figure in the civil rights and women’s rights movements. First published posthumously in 1987, the memoir received critical acclaim for its articulate and deeply personal recounting of Murray’s experiences.

Orphaned at a young age and raised in segregated Durham, North Carolina, Murray’s life was marked by her/their struggles with gender identity and sexual “in-betweenness,” a struggle that today would be recognized as transgender. The memoir details her/their journey north to New York City, her embrace of nonviolent resistance inspired by Gandhi, and her/their direct confrontations with Jim Crow laws. An early Freedom Rider, Murray was arrested for her/their activism long before the famous acts of civil disobedience by Rosa Parks.

Her/their life intertwined with notable figures such as Thurgood Marshall and Eleanor Roosevelt and contributed significantly to the fight against both racial and gender discrimination.

This memoir, enriched by Patricia Bell-Scott’s introduction, offers a vivid portrayal of Murray’s relentless pursuit of justice and her/their significant but often overlooked contributions to American history.

Also see:
My Name Is Pauli Murray (Documentary)

Thoughts from Readers: