Synopsis:
Fifteen years before Rosa Parks refused to surrender her bus seat, a full decade before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned separate-but-equal legislation, Pauli Murray was already knee-deep fighting for social justice. A pioneering attorney, activist, priest and dedicated memoirist, Murray shaped landmark litigation—and consciousness— around race and gender equity. As an African American youth raised in the segregated South—who was also wrestling with broader notions of gender identity—Pauli understood, intrinsically, what it was to exist beyond previously accepted categories and cultural norms. Both Pauli’s personal path and tireless advocacy foreshadowed some of the most politically consequential issues of our time. Told largely in Pauli’s own words, My Name is Pauli Murray is a candid recounting of that unique and extraordinary journey.
We all know that most of history, at least what is widely taught, was written by the so-called winners. The rest of it, well, it has been whitewashed to exclude, hide, and/or downplay the immeasurable contributions that people of color made to the world as we know it. It’s a practice that is still happening today, just ask BIPOC creators and social media influencers. What the lack of recognition, respect, and credit does is the same thing a lack of representation has done. It augments reality and creates this lopsided racial narrative that only one group of people did the majority of anything and everything. Then a subconscious superiority complex develops within that group in a very ugly way. And we are still witnessing it to this day. History, whether good or bad, should be told in its entirety with all parties that included. It’s one thing to do a deep-dive into a historical figure to know every detail about them, but for some to never be mentioned or discussed is ludicrous. In order to do better, we have to know better and we’re finally making strides. It just shouldn’t have taken this long.
“Why don’t we know about Pauli Murray?”
A real-life hero is finally getting their due and we should’ve known the name decades ago. My Name is Pauli Murray details the life, triumphs, and accomplishments of an unsung American trailblazer. Born and raised in an immensely difficult era, physically female but not quite feeling as such, and being of mixed heritage, Pauli Murray faced nothing but adverse conditions in a slow and still evolving America. This documentary not only sheds light on her civil rights moments that predate the famous ones that we know, her unlikely friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt, her monumental role in Brown v. Board of Education, how she helped lead the charge for women’s rights, and her many, many groundbreaking firsts but also how Pauli was asking the questions about gender that are just now being addressed in our society. Guided by a somber tone paired with Murray’s poetry and writings, this film celebrates the righteous combatant to an unjust, racist, and sexist status quo that Pauli was. It also presents a struggle to find love and a secret journey to self-identity. Featuring family, friends, former students, activists, authors, academics, and those affected by Pauli’s legacy, a vibrant and fiery, yet very human picture is painted of this icon. The documentary is touching, awe-inspiring, eye-opening, and must be seen. I mean Pauli influenced the late legendary Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, what more convincing do you need? The film is edited very well, not a dull moment in sight. The score allows this journey to discovery feels like a calm boat ride down the river. Not to mention, it’s just amazing to see all that Pauli was able to accomplish despite the ugliness of the world. I thoroughly enjoyed My Name is Pauli Murray. It’s not simply for how it is constructed, but for the new outlook it has given me as well as the message it delivers. Its rewatchability is medium-high.
Pacing & Pop
The pacing was actually done really well. Some history documentaries tend to move rather slow and have a dull tone but not this one. It tends to keep you on your toes a bit with the way it was edited. What popped for me was everything this documentary had to offer. I can’t believe that I was unaware of Pauli Murray and Pauli’s accomplishments. Frankly, it upsets me the more that I think about it.
Impact & Influence
We are finally in an age where people are no longer accepting the convenient truths and alternative history we were fed as children. Unfortunately, the truth moves at a vastly slower speed than a lie does. However, as more information becomes available and long-held falsehoods unravel, we can finally know what’s real and take pride in knowing that change and progress can come from anywhere. Works such as this documentary can empower those who think that they don’t have the ability to positively affect the world around them. To see someone who fought against oppression from all sides and succeeded all while fighting an internal battle that we are just now becoming fully aware of is something we should all revel in. Pauli Murray lets us know that we are fine just the way we are and can do great things despite the hurdles placed in front of us.
My Name is Pauli Murray begins streaming on Prime Video on October 1, 2021. Stay safe and enjoy.
Director: Betsy West and Julie Cohen
Writers: Talleah Bridges McMahon, Julie Cohen, Cinque Northern, Betsy West
Producers: Talleah Bridges McMahon
Executive Producer: Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Peggy Drexler, Elise Pearlstein
Director of Photography: Claudia Raschke
Editor: Cinque Northern
Archival Producer: Claudia Lopez
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 1h 33m
Rating: 4 out of 5
Senior Critic. Observing the human race since 1988.
