Before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, Pauli Murray sat in a whites-only section of a Virginia bus in 1940 and was arrested. This inspiring biography in verse aims to promote the life and work of the lesser-known yet influential Black civil rights activist and feminist. Free-verse poems relate Murray's childhood during the Jim Crow era in North Carolina, her budding activism amid the Great Depression, her more formal activism and writings as a lawyer, and her later years in the clergy. They emphasize another part of Murray's identity as well: Murray fought for women's rights in a male-dominated world (what she called her "battle against Jane Crow"), and before the term transgender came into use, she routinely questioned her gender identity and chose to dress in men's clothes. Incorporating quotes by Murray and excerpts of her poetry, the book's verses often don't flow smoothly. Readers who persist, however, will find numerous historical surprises, from Murray's friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt to her role in Brown v. Board of Education.

The remarkable life of Black activist, attorney, and Episcopal priest Pauli Murray (1910-1985) is presented in an engaging, extensively documented nonfiction account in verse. Drawing heavily on Murray's autobiography, poems, and other writings, the book spans her entire life and identifies her influences as she became determined, from a young age in Jim Crow North Carolina, to learn and help others appreciate the true history of her people. She endured great hardships in order to graduate from Hunter College, but her efforts to get ahead were thwarted by the Great Depression. She began a lifelong passion for writing to newspapers and public figures about social issues, which she called "confrontation by typewriter," and was very successful at making those messages heard by people in power, including President Roosevelt. Later, at Howard University Law School, Murray was a strong proponent of overturning Plessy v. Ferguson because "separate could never be equal." In the later chapters, the authors acknowledge the limitations of language employed at the time, speculating that today "transgender / is possibly / what Pauli would call herself... Pauli's pronouns may have been / they/them/their." This is a compelling biography of an "unsung force" -- an inspiring and transformative figure who broke barriers pivotal to both the civil rights and women's movements. Appended with photographs, authors' notes, a timeline, source notes, and a bibliography.

Born in 1910, Anna Pauline "Pauli" Murray was a poet, a lawyer, an activist, a priest, and so much more that is deserving of praise, remembrance, and long-overdue celebration.The story begins with the death of her mother and a 3-year-old Murray finding a home with her aunt and namesake Pauline in Jim Crow–afflicted Durham, North Carolina. Collaborators Catasús Jennings and Stevens-Holsey, Murray's niece, provide a thorough account of their subject's life, from her first exposure to systemic injustice through to her steadfast persistence in fighting the racial and gender inequities she dubbed Jane Crow. Unfortunately, the work uses stilted verse stanzas organized into less-than-effective sections, drawing for readers an awkward contrast to Murray's own brilliant poetry, which is quoted here. The writing presents factual details without much consideration of poetic language or rhythm, and certain segments feel like historical discursions from the meaningful focus on Murray's life. Nonetheless, the inclusion of too-often-unrecognized details of Murray's accomplishments in education, law, and activism, combined with the harsh sociopolitical context she emerged from, make for an undeniably potent story. Murray spent the last decade of her life as an Episcopal priest, which the authors curiously mention only briefly. Ultimately, this work presents thoughtful components of a portrait of this queer, Black, heroic figure.An undeniably worthy subject deserving of a stronger biography. (authors' notes, timeline, endnotes, bibliography) (Verse biography. 12-16)