BLOG / NEWS

Founding the Pauli Murray Awards Foundation to Honor and Invest in Black Queer Brilliance

“Hope is a song in a weary throat.” — Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, Esq.

In the summer of 2018, I finished reading Their Own Receive Them Not: African-American Lesbians and Gays in the Black Church by Rev. Dr. Horace Griffin. The book had been a gift from my dear friend and adopted godmother, Betty. In it, Dr. Griffin devotes a section to notable African Americans whose queer identities were papered over, ignored, or erased—people like George Washington Carver, Barbara Jordan, and Bayard Rustin. They made indelible contributions to this country, yet, as my Granny would say, “nary a word” was spoken about this part of their truth.

That made me curious. I began digging deeper, asking what other Black luminaries had been lost to this kind of erasure. I had no idea then that what I would find would change my life.

If you’ve spent more than five minutes with a Howard alum, you know we don’t play about alma mater. We yell from opposite sides of the street, through airport terminals, and across parks when we identify each other—HU! You Know! It is a source of joy, pride, and a connection so deep that it can barely be described. We rattle off the names of our legendary alumni like they’re tattooed to the backs of our eyelids. First Black governor. First Black federal judge. First Black General in the U.S. military. First Black Supreme Court Justice. Vice President. Oscar winners. Scientists. Prime ministers. We know our people.

So imagine my shock when I realized that I—15 years after first stepping foot on The Mecca—had never really heard the name Pauli Murray. (Recently, a friend pointed out that their given name, Anna Pauline Murray, appeared with no further detail on a list of Howard alum during Freshman Orientation, but that was it.)

Pauli Murray, Howard University School of Law Class of 1944. The person whose legal theory was used as the basis for the legal arguments in Brown v. Board of Education. A mentor to Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The first Black person assigned female at birth to be ordained as an Episcopal priest. A poet. A trailblazer. A visionary. A queer person whose identity, like so many others, had been shrouded in silence.

How had we let that happen?

It wasn’t until the 2021 Amazon Original documentary My Name is Pauli Murray that a fuller picture of their life and impact began to reach the public. (If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it. I’ve joked that I’ll personally refund anyone who doesn’t walk away feeling changed.)

But a documentary alone isn’t enough.

The erasure of Pauli Murray’s legacy—and the broader pattern of sidelining Black queer lives—lit a fire in me. I couldn’t undo the past. But I could do something now, for the future.

That’s how the Pauli Murray Awards Foundation (PMAF) was born.

The PMAF is dedicated to the memory and mission of the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray—author, lawyer, priest, civil rights architect, and unapologetically Black, queer visionary. Their work laid the foundation for so many of the rights we take for granted: women’s rights, LGBTQ+ marriage equality, desegregation, and the advancement of two U.S. Supreme Court justices. And yet, their full humanity had never been publicly honored.

We exist to change that.

As a Black queer activist, former pastor, sex educator, and nonprofit leader, I know firsthand how often our work is under-resourced, unsupported, and often uncelebrated. The PMAF seeks to shift that reality—starting with recognition, but not ending there.

---

Our Mission

The Pauli Murray Awards Foundation exists to recognize and resource Black LGBTQ+ individuals whose work advances equity, innovation, and collective well-being. Through annual honors, community programs, and public advocacy, we seek to amplify voices too often overlooked and build infrastructure for sustained cultural and systemic change. The Pauli Murray Awards Foundation honors, uplifts, and supports Black LGBTQ+ leaders across the country who are advancing justice, creativity, wellness, innovation, and liberation in their respective fields.

Our vision is a future where Black LGBTQ+ brilliance is resourced, celebrated, and sustained—transforming every sector of society and shaping a more just world.

---

Our Core Values

Liberation — We believe in full freedom and self-determination—spiritual, political, creative, and bodily—for Black LGBTQ+ people.

Legacy — We carry forward the spirit of Pauli Murray, honoring the ancestors and trailblazers whose labor made our lives possible.

Visibility — We shine light on Black LGBTQ+ excellence—not just survival, but leadership, cultural impact, and innovation.

Community — We build networks of mutual care, mentorship, and collective power—investing in people, not just achievements.

---

The Pauli Murray Awards (PMAs)

The flagship program of the Pauli Murray Awards Foundation will be the Pauli Murray Awards: 40 Under 40 Black LGBTQ Honors—an annual celebration of 40 Black LGBTQ+ leaders under 40 whose work is reshaping the world.

Honorees will be selected through a multi-phase process that includes public nominations, thorough application reviews, and final interviews by a national Selection Committee. Honorees will apply and be selected from one of eight categories that their work falls into. They are:

• Arts & Entertainment
• Business & Entrepreneurship
• Culture & Media
• Education & Scholarship
• Public Service & Government
• Science, Technology, & Medicine
• Social Justice, Advocacy, & Community Leadership
• Spirituality, Wellness, Philanthropy, & Mental Health

As a part of the 40 Under 40 Honors, the honorees will receive a $1,000 unrestricted grant (pending fundraising) and a formal award at the in-person PMA ceremony.

The inaugural Pauli Murray Awards will take place in New York City on October 11, 2026—National Coming Out Day—as a bold declaration of visibility, pride, and power. But the PMAs are more than a one-night celebration—they are the entry point into a transformative community. Honorees will be invited to join a year-long cohort where they’ll receive mentorship from legacy leaders and peers; workshops on wellness, media training, fundraising, public speaking, and more; opportunities for collaboration across disciplines and geographies; visibility and platforming through media, storytelling, and national partnerships.

We’re not just spotlighting Black queer brilliance—we’re investing in it, surrounding it with care, and ensuring it grows.

Our first honorees will be scientists and physicians tackling health disparities. Artists and musicians preserving our stories. Educators, organizers, and freedom fighters. I am most excited to one day share this vision—and this room of Black queer magic—with Pauli Murray’s own family.

We want our honorees to feel seen, supported, celebrated, and equipped. We want their legacy to be undeniable.

In the next 5 to 10 years, we aim to make PMAF a national force in Black queer visibility, leadership, and liberation. Not just through awards—but through programs, partnerships, and platforms that breathe life into the legacy of Pauli Murray.

The Rev. Dr. Bernard Richardson, Dean of the Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel, often quotes a former Dean of the Chapel, Dr. Daniel Hill, in saying, “One should not seek greatness, but one should seek to serve. And while serving, you will bump into greatness along the way.”

As the person honored with the task of leading this organization and this movement, I look forward to serving our community and bumping into all of the greatness that it has and continues to offer to the world. In doing so, I hope that the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, Esq. would be proud of us and the work that we do in their name.

In the poem entitled Dark Testament, Dr. Murray wrote, “Hope is a song in a weary throat.” We plan to sing that song loudly.

A Note on Pronouns: We use they/them pronouns—or simply refer to Pauli Murray by name—out of respect for their complex and evolving gender identity. While Pauli was often referred to with she/her pronouns during their lifetime, historical records—including personal writings and correspondences—reflect a deep wrestling with gender identity that many now understand as aligning with trans or nonbinary experiences. Using they/them honors that nuance and affirms the fullness of who Pauli was and how they moved through the world.

Organizational Status: The Pauli Murray Awards Foundation is incorporated as a nonprofit organization in the State of New York and registered with the New York State Office of the Attorney General’s Charities Bureau as a charitable organization. We have filed an application and are awaiting recognition from the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

---