Carl Murphy
Encyclopedia
Carl Murphy was an African-American Journalist, publisher, civil rights leader, and educator.
in 1911, Harvard University
in 1913, and the University of Jena in Berlin in 1913. Murphy served as a professor of German and chairman of the German department at Howard University
between 1913 and 1918 It was in that year he joined the staff of the Baltimore Afro-American
newspaper, run by his father John Murphy Sr.
In 1922, upon his father's death, Dr. Murphy assumed control of the paper and in the next four decades solidified the Afros place as a major African American newspaper. At its peak, the Afro-American published more than a dozen editions in Baltimore
; Washington, D.C.
; Richmond, Virginia
; and Newark, New Jersey
. Carl Murphy built up the Afro-American from a journal of 14,000 circulations to more than 200,000; employing more than 200 workers.
In addition to his responsibilities to the Afro, Carl Murphy became actively involved with the Baltimore branch of the NAACP. In December 1932, he declared the NAACP's intention to challenge racial segregation at the University of Maryland
. By 1935, with the help of NAACP attorneys Charles Hamilton Houston
and Thurgood Marshall
, the NAACP forced open the university's law school, with a strategy that would be used successfully across the Jim Crow South. Perhaps Carl Murphy's most significant single contribution to the Baltimore African American cause came in 1935 when he engineered the election of Lillie Carroll Jackson to the presidency of the local NAACP branch. A perfect complement to Murphy's more subtle leadership style, the straightforward and tireless Jackson remained in the post until 1970.
Under the leadership of Murphy, the Afro newspaper was deeply involved in the organization of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
". The paper designated a team of columnists and reporters to aid in the demonstration's promotion, and dispatched another team of journalist to detail its progress. In its 80th anniversary issue, the Afro called Murphy "a man with a purpose." Murphy ran the paper for 45 years. He was a lifelong Mason, a member of President Herbert Hoover
's 1930 Commission to Haiti and a member of the Electoral College for the 1960 Presidential election. His impact was felt far beyond his home in Baltimore
, Maryland
.
As a result of Baltimore's separate but unequal racial order, Murphy and the Afro staff were very concerned with the unsatisfactory education being provided to black children and the complicity of Baltimore's white power structure in this provision. During the 1920s the newspaper intensified its campaign for a first rate school system, in order to provide black children with upward mobility in American society as well as remunerative and fulfilling employment for black educators. These efforts served as the foundation for a stable and prosperous black middle class.
To peers and contemporaries, the diminutive Murphy was a giant. Following the landmark U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Brown v. Board of Education
(1954), Thurgood Marshall
publicly acknowledged a debt of gratitude to Murphy. For his efforts on behalf of civil rights, the NAACP awarded him its highest honor, the Spingarn Medal, in 1955. Morgan State University
, on whose board Murphy had served as a trustee for decades, named its Fine Arts Center in his honor. Ironically, Carl Murphy died on February 25, 1967, the very day the Maryland General Assembly
repealed a 306-year-old state law banning interracial marriage, a battle the Afro publisher and civil rights leader had waged for decades.
; they married June 20, 1916, just before he returned to Baltimore to run the paper. His wife taught school in Washington D.C., and got her B.A. degree from Howard in 1913. In 1911, while studying at Howard, Miss Turley and 21 other young women founded the Delta Sigma Theta
Sorority Inc.
Biography
Dr. Carl Murphy was born in Baltimore, Maryland; his parents were John Henry Murphy Sr. and Martha Howard Murphy. He graduated from Howard UniversityHoward University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
in 1911, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1913, and the University of Jena in Berlin in 1913. Murphy served as a professor of German and chairman of the German department at Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
between 1913 and 1918 It was in that year he joined the staff of the Baltimore Afro-American
Baltimore Afro-American
The Baltimore Afro-American, commonly known as The Afro, is a weekly newspaper published in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. It is the flagship newspaper of the Afro-American chain and the longest-running African-American family-owned newspaper in the United States.-History:The newspaper was founded in...
newspaper, run by his father John Murphy Sr.
In 1922, upon his father's death, Dr. Murphy assumed control of the paper and in the next four decades solidified the Afros place as a major African American newspaper. At its peak, the Afro-American published more than a dozen editions in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
; Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
; Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
; and Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. Carl Murphy built up the Afro-American from a journal of 14,000 circulations to more than 200,000; employing more than 200 workers.
In addition to his responsibilities to the Afro, Carl Murphy became actively involved with the Baltimore branch of the NAACP. In December 1932, he declared the NAACP's intention to challenge racial segregation at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
. By 1935, with the help of NAACP attorneys Charles Hamilton Houston
Charles Hamilton Houston
Charles Hamilton Houston was an African American lawyer, Dean of Howard University Law School and NAACP Litigation Director who played a significant role in dismantling the Jim Crow laws and trained future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.Houston was born in Washington, D.C. His father...
and Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from October 1967 until October 1991...
, the NAACP forced open the university's law school, with a strategy that would be used successfully across the Jim Crow South. Perhaps Carl Murphy's most significant single contribution to the Baltimore African American cause came in 1935 when he engineered the election of Lillie Carroll Jackson to the presidency of the local NAACP branch. A perfect complement to Murphy's more subtle leadership style, the straightforward and tireless Jackson remained in the post until 1970.
Under the leadership of Murphy, the Afro newspaper was deeply involved in the organization of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was the largest political rally for human rights in United States history and called for civil and economic rights for African Americans. It took place in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, August 28, 1963. Martin Luther King, Jr...
". The paper designated a team of columnists and reporters to aid in the demonstration's promotion, and dispatched another team of journalist to detail its progress. In its 80th anniversary issue, the Afro called Murphy "a man with a purpose." Murphy ran the paper for 45 years. He was a lifelong Mason, a member of President Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
's 1930 Commission to Haiti and a member of the Electoral College for the 1960 Presidential election. His impact was felt far beyond his home in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
As a result of Baltimore's separate but unequal racial order, Murphy and the Afro staff were very concerned with the unsatisfactory education being provided to black children and the complicity of Baltimore's white power structure in this provision. During the 1920s the newspaper intensified its campaign for a first rate school system, in order to provide black children with upward mobility in American society as well as remunerative and fulfilling employment for black educators. These efforts served as the foundation for a stable and prosperous black middle class.
To peers and contemporaries, the diminutive Murphy was a giant. Following the landmark U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
(1954), Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall
Thurgood Marshall was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from October 1967 until October 1991...
publicly acknowledged a debt of gratitude to Murphy. For his efforts on behalf of civil rights, the NAACP awarded him its highest honor, the Spingarn Medal, in 1955. Morgan State University
Morgan State University
Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...
, on whose board Murphy had served as a trustee for decades, named its Fine Arts Center in his honor. Ironically, Carl Murphy died on February 25, 1967, the very day the Maryland General Assembly
Maryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is a bicameral body. The upper chamber, the Maryland State Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber, the Maryland House of Delegates, has 141 representatives...
repealed a 306-year-old state law banning interracial marriage, a battle the Afro publisher and civil rights leader had waged for decades.
The Murphy Family
By the late 1930s, the Murphy family was prosperous and expanding. Carl Murphy met his future wife, Vashti Turley Murphy, while she was a student in his German class at Howard UniversityHoward University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
; they married June 20, 1916, just before he returned to Baltimore to run the paper. His wife taught school in Washington D.C., and got her B.A. degree from Howard in 1913. In 1911, while studying at Howard, Miss Turley and 21 other young women founded the Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...
Sorority Inc.