Pauli Murray's America Unit 7

Learning Objective:

Students will engage with rhetorical analysis and recognize Pauli Murray’s persuasive techniques in letter writing and its effectiveness.

Key Civics Theme: 

Rights and Responsibilities: Using Murray’s letters to individuals in power, consider the responsibilities of those figures to uphold the rights of others. For example, what role does (or should) the President of the United States play in ensuring the rights of Americans? What are the repercussions when they ignore or forsake those responsibilities? Students can compare and contrast presidential policies during Murray’s lifetime with those of more recent presidential administrations.

Activities:

• Teaching, Learning, and Writing as Activism: 

  • Primary source analysis with rhetorical analysis of Pauli’s arguments. One primary source per class period with guiding questions (Primary Sources available on the Unit 7 Dashboard)

Pauli Murray to Eleanor Roosevelt, May 4, 1943: http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/_resources/images/ersel/ersel072.pdf (Pages 67-72 of pdf)

What do you think Murray means when they write, “the balance sheet of race relations is not wholly in the red….”?

What collaborations does Murray describe throughout the letter? How were these collaborations advocating for equality?

What does Murray suggest as potential “weapons of advancement”?

What are some of the skills and techniques Murray proposes to discuss at the Leadership Institute? Do we still practice those skills today?

• • Poem, “Mr. Roosevelt Regrets,” Pauli Murray, July 21, 1943, and Roosevelt’s response, July 26, 1943. http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/_resources/images/ersel/ersel072.pdf (Pages 77-78)

How would you describe the tone of this poem?

What are some of the words or phrases that stand out to you? Why do you think Murray chose these words?

How would you describe President Roosevelt’s response?

• • Pauli Murray to President and Mrs. Roosevelt, June 4, 1944 http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/_resources/images/ersel/ersel072.pdf (Pages 81-84)

What are Murray’s arguments related to a 4th term for President Roosevelt? 

Why does Murray feel that they can’t vote for the Democratic Party?

Pauli Murray to Calvert Smith, Harvard University, July 20, 2944

Why does Murray write “One of the assets of being a brown American is patience”?

What does Murray mean by “passing the buck”? Can you think of other examples in Murray’s life where they appeared to someone who”passed the back”?

How does Pauli suggest that the university will benefit from accepting them?

• • Pauli Murray to T.R. Powell & James P. Conant, Harvard University, July 20, 1944. https://hueimg.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/uploads/13fce4d207ffedd265341ec97b7de3e8.pdf

What “tradition” is Murray referring to at Harvard? Why (or are) traditions important?

How does Murray (humorously) suggest solving this issue of their admittance to Harvard? Could Murray be admitted to Harvard Law School today?

• Discussion: Who does Pauli write to to effect change? Why does she choose those particular individuals? What do Pauli’s choices in correspondents reveal about power, race, and gender in the mid-twentieth century?