Feast of Pauli Murray: Art Gallery Call
Feast of Pauli Murray
Virtual Art Gallery Theme: Identity
Thursday, July 1
On July 1, the Episcopal Church celebrates the feast of Pauli Murray, legal crusader and theorist; activist; educator; first ordained black female Episcopal Priest; and co-founder of a national women's rights organization. Her experiences with her race and gender fueled her justice advocacy work. And at the same time, Murray was also a poet and in the Introduction of one of her books, Dark Testament and Other Poems, Elizabeth Alexander writes, “Murray's experience of gender was not fixed by social norms. And her admission and embrace of her gender fluidity was highly unusual in her times. How she lived in gender surfaces the deepest human questions: Who am I? What do I desire? How am I oriented? Where is my sun, my north star?” (Read more about the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray using the links provided at the bottom of this page.)
We will celebrate this Feast Day, as we did on Epiphany, with a virtual art gallery. We invite you all to create an offering around the theme of Identity. Asking yourself the same questions as Murray: "Who am I? What do I desire? How am I oriented? Where is my sun, my north star?" Your work may be in one or more styles of art: music, painting, photography, poetry, short story, etc. with this common theme.
Please submit your offering (and questions) to Anny Stevens-Gleason, Minister for Worship and Incorporation, no later than Monday, June 21, 2021.
Our Feast Day Virtual Art Gallery for the Feast of Pauli Murray will premiere on her Feast Day, July 1, 2021.
Watch Anny's call for submissions in this video clip:
Read some of the following resources to learn more about the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray.
The Many Lives of Pauli Murray
Pauli Murray inspires new generation of firebrand black, queer Episcopal leaders
Video Clip from Pauli Murray From TV Series "On The Road", 1985
