F.H.M.Murray

F.H.M. Murray: First Biography of a Forgotten Pioneer for Civil Justice -- by Anita Hackley-Lambert

As reviewed by New York Times best-selling author Ellen Tanner Marsh

Anita Hackley-Lambert isn’t just an accomplished biographer and writer. She’s the great-granddaughter of the subject of this fascinating new biography — that of Freeman Henry Morris Murray. Murray crossed the color line during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to fight for justice for African Americans, and in this first-ever biography, Hackley-Lambert lovingly and colorfully brings her great-grandfather’s story to life.

As a child, Murray faced rejection for the color of his skin, and although he searched for an identity and a feeling of belonging, he learned to excel in the face of adversity. As an adult, he fought for African Americans, forcefully driving home the point (which he called his Enlarged Vision Model) that they could change their social status by becoming better educated, grabbing opportunities, and simply working harder. This model helped him in his life: refusing to take no for an answer, he studied hard and entered an astonishing array of professions as a teacher, civil servant, lecturer, newsman, editor, author, publisher, printer, and founder of several newspapers and businesses. In addition, he never stopped trying to help his people, most remarkably by creating his own Underground Railroad in Virginia that operated undiscovered for several decades.

This stunning biography unfolds against a teeming backdrop of American history. From John Brown’s raid on the federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry to the Civil Rights movement and the assassination of Martin Luther King, this is a testament to the remarkable time and the extraordinary man who lived through it.

Hackley-Lambert’s great-grandfather lived to age 90 when he was struck down in an accident. He died shortly after, but he left behind an extraordinary story, and we have his great-grandmother Anita Hackley-Lambert’s devotion to thank for it.