Dear St. E’s Community,

February is upon us! It’s amazing how quickly the weeks turn into months when you’re learning and having fun. The arrival of February also means we celebrate Black History Month, to honor the contributions of Black Americans in the U.S. Of course, on the St. E’s campus, we recognize the importance of learning about and celebrating black history throughout the year. But every Black History Month, we can really place emphasis on powerful work done and change brought on by passionate, ambitious Black Americans.

With that said, I thought that looking back on the life of a prominent figure in black history would be meaningful. While many students learn about more commonly circulated names in black history like Ruby Bridges, Harriet Tubman, and Ronald McNair (those names are currently being taught in our kindergarten classes, actually!), there are others whose lives and work are equally as important and who also reflect back on our Episcoplian roots. That’s why I wanted to look at the life of Pauli Murray in this newsletter, to share with you all why I admire them and why they are an excellent role model for our St. E’s students.

What Pauli Murray demonstrated — something I see in all of our students — is a fierce devotion to achieving goals and making change, and employing the necessary work ethic to make that happen. They fought lifelong for race and gender equality while simultaneously furthering their education and working tirelessly as a lawyer, activist, author, and educator. Murray was a pioneer of their time, graduating at the top of their class at Howard Law School, becoming the first African American to earn a J.S.D. from Yale Law School, and becoming the first African American nonbinary person to be ordained as an Episcopal priest. All the while, they constantly challenged race and gender stereotypes and advocated for acceptance, equal rights, and inclusivity; they were never afraid to speak up and out about injustice or stand up for what they believed in.

What I wish most for students to take away from Pauli Murray’s life, in addition to their successes and achievements, is Pauli Murray’s persistence to never give up trying. While we are able to look back on their life and acknowledge their awards and recognition, their successes are hard won—requiring a unique brand of resilience, persistence, and fortitude to commit to the chipping away at a broken system to make real change to move forward. We proudly teach St. E’s students to be confident, outspoken, and just, and in the challenging times that we face today, it is just as important to fight for what is right as it was in Pauli Murray’s life.

Consider spending some time browsing the Pauli Murray Center website to learn more about this incredible figure in American history, and be sure to explore other leaders and changemakers whom we honor for Black History Month and celebrate year-round for their contributions to our history both in and out of the classroom.

Get ready to be inspired.

Best foot forward,

Adriana Murphy
Head of School