Roots and Soul: A Journey Through Pauli Murray's Durham

Roots and Soul: A Journey through Pauli Murray's Durham is a 90-minute, 1-square-mile tour around the historic West End Neighborhood of Durham. Tour goers will visit 5 stops and be inspired by Pauli Murray's legacy and the unique contributions of the Fitzgerald family and other community members to the educational, economic, and cultural fabric of Durham.

Whistle Stop Tours and Conductors share emancipation strategies from the voices of a Black Civil War soldier, the Freedman Schools movement, and from unsung s/hero Pauli Murray - a relentless pioneer and activist of Black civil rights, women's rights, and LGBTQ rights.

For the safety and enjoyment of all participants on the tour, please be advised that the tour route includes two moderate hills (one ascending and one descending), limited public sidewalks, and uneven ground.

Be advised: There will not be a rain date for this tour. Participants will be fully refunded. See the FAQ for rain cancellation policy.

By attending this tour, all participants assume full responsibility for their own safety and well-being and that of the minors accompanying them on the tour, regardless of the weather conditions. And agree to hold harmless Whistle Stop Tours, its tour operators, the Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice, and its staff and personnel from any liability causing personal injury to any of the participants during this tour.

This tour is a collaboration between Whistle-Stop Tours and the Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice.

For Pauli Murray Home Tours, use this link: https://form.jotform.com/232600095284149

Info: Choose an image of African-American historical figure to "carry" with you on the tour. Acknowledge the 9 most recognized indigenous tribes in North Carolina.

Info: On the beautiful green lawn of the Pauli Murray Center, create a human tree sculpture made up of different Fitzgerald family members.

Info: Meet Pauli's grandfather Robert Fitzgerald on the front porch of the 1898 home he built "by feel".

Info: Listen to Pauli's grandmother, Cornelia Smith, preach about family pride from the safety of the Fitzgerald homestead.

Info: Listen to American Credo-- Pauli's Mission Statement-- written before the passage of the Civil Rights Act, and as relevant today as it was in 1940.

Info: Pauli's namesake and adopted mother--Aunt Pauline made personal sacrifices in the name of education, race work, and family; a perfect nurturer for the young firebrand.

Info: Close out with a community sing of an original freedom song to liberate deceased Jerry Markham, interred in The Fitzgerald Family Cemetery, which remained segregated from the city-owned Maplewood Cemetery into the 1990s, despite Pauli's final activist efforts.

Event venue & nearby stays

Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice, 906 Carroll Street, Durham, United States

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