Chatham Community Library Celebrates Women’s History Month and Black History

Source: Visual Vic / Getty

In honor of Women’s History Month and the rich contributions of Black Americans, Chatham Community Library is hosting two insightful events at the end of March, both free and open to the public. These programs will provide attendees with a deeper understanding of the lives, legacies, and histories that have shaped our communities.

• The Life and Legacy of Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, Friday, March 28, 2025, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

• Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Middle Class, Saturday, March 29, 2025, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Both events will be held at Chatham Community Library, Holmes Family Meeting Room, 197 NC Hwy 87 N, Pittsboro, NC 27312

More about The Life and Legacy of Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray: Angela Thorpe Mason, Executive Director of the Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice, will present “The Life and Legacy of Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray.” Pauli Murray was a groundbreaking twentieth-century activist, legal scholar, feminist, poet, and Episcopal priest. Murray’s remarkable achievements include being the first Black person to earn a JSD from Yale Law School and one of the first Black women ordained as an Episcopal priest. Ms. Mason will discuss Murray’s legacy and the work of the Pauli Murray Center in Durham, highlighting Murray’s lasting impact on civil rights and gender equality.

More about Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Middle Class: On March 29, award-winning author and historian Dr. Blair LM Kelley will discuss her latest book, Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Middle Class. Dr. Kelley’s work spans two centuries of Black history, tracing the lives of Black workers who laid the foundation for the Black middle class. Her research highlights the significance of figures such as laundresses, Pullman porters, and postal workers who, despite systemic racism, created communities of resilience, joy, and solidarity. As the Joel R. Williamson Distinguished Professor of Southern Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, Dr. Kelley is dedicated to amplifying the histories of Black people and their activism in shaping American society.

Pauli Murray session is made possible by the generous support of the Friends of the Chatham Community Library. The Black Folk program is co-sponsored by the library and CRC-C. Residents are encouraged to attend these engaging programs as part of the celebration of both Women’s History Month and Black History Month.