Proud Shoes (Black Women Writers Series) [Paperback]

Pauli Murray (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0807072095 | ISBN-13: 978-0807072097 | Publication Date: August 1, 1999

Originally published in 1956, Pauli Murray tells the story of her grandparents, delving into the realities of slavery, survival, and miscegenation in the pre-Civil War/Reconstruction era in the South.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'A significant contribution to our understanding of the black experience in America. . . . Fascinating.' -- Publishers Weekly

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Beacon Press (August 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807072095
• ISBN-13: 978-0807072097
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #222,369 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courageous Family Autobiography, February 4, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (Manhattan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Proud Shoes (Hardcover)

Pauli Murray was reared in an extraordinary extended family of Northern Freedmen who had come South after fighting with the Union Army & Southern aristocrats-Indians-Slaves. Her great-aunt donated the land in Chapel Hill on which sits the University which denied her admission.

This is a story of the courage of the "Yankee Schoolmarms" (including her Grandfather)who brought education to the newly freed slaves, and the courage of those who sought the education he offered. Her aunts also followed their father in lives devoted to education. One of the most moving moments in the book is when her Aunt Pauline read the Supreme Court's decision to integrate in 1954, the year before her death. "Thank G-d, I have lived to see this day," she said.

Murray's own life was more than worthy of the ambitions they instilled in her. This is the way an autobiographical family story _should_ be written: if only such writers were thick on the ground.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moving personal history of an African American and her family, September 12, 2009

By 

Nancy Morris "Nancy" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Proud Shoes (Black Women Writers Series) (Paperback)

Proud Shoes is a moving tale of an African-American family from mid-nineteenth through mid-twentieth century. Pauli Murray writes vividly. Her story is one of triumph as she achieved personally and professionally. Her family's experiences also show the horror of how persons of color were treated, including the story of a neighbor boy who was killed by a white man who said he trespassed, but the crime was never prosecuted.

This is one of a group of books all Americans should read to understand our past and the courage of those who triumphed despite all obstacles.

5.0 out of 5 stars a very good book, January 9, 2007

By 

Suvondra Brown (Charlotte, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Proud Shoes (Black Women Writers Series) (Paperback)

I heard about Pauli Murray in my North Carolina History. I chose to read her book as a book report and was blown away. The book was easy to understand and i could relate to the author.