Anna Pauline “Pauli” Murray was posthumously recognized with an honorary Doctor of Laws on May 13, 2017 during the 149th Commencement Convocation on the campus of Howard University.

By Julianne Malveaux March 11, 2016

Julianne Malveaux, an economist and author, is the author, most recently, of “Are We Better Off? Race, Obama, and Public Policy.”

Somehow, in 1938, a letter from an unknown, 28-year-old black activist caught the attention of first lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The writer was Pauli Murray, who had been denied admission to the University of North Carolina because of her race — and she was rightfully outraged. Perhaps it was the thoughtful passion of Murray’s words that captivated the first lady, who plucked the letter out of thousands.