Pauli Murray Project and Hidden Voices Present TO BUY THE SUN, 1/28

The Pauli Murray Project and Hidden Voices announce the premiere of an original play, To Buy the Sun, focused on the life and legacy of Pauli Murray on January 28, 2011 (7:30 p.m.) at the Hayti Heritage Center in Durham (www.hayti.org or 919/683-1709 x 21). Additional performances are scheduled at this venue on January 29 (7:30 p.m.) and 30 (3 p.m.) and on February 4-5 (8 p.m.) at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro (www.artscenterlive.org or 919/929-2787). February 13 (7 p.m.) at The Chapel of the Cross in Chapel Hill (919/929-2193) and February 18 (7:30 p.m.) at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Hillsborough (919/732-9308). Tickets are $10 and are on sale now at both box offices and online. The play is written by Lynden Harris, directed by Kathryn Hunter-Williams and features Chaunesti Webb Lyon and Brie Nash.

Fifteen years before Rosa Parks refused to stand, Pauli Murray refused to sit in the back of the bus; 20 years before the Greensboro sit-ins, she organized restaurant sit-downs in the nation's capital. Durham native Pauli Murray not only lived on the edge of history, she seemingly "pulled it along with her."

One hundred twenty-three years after her enslaved grandmother was baptized at Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church in Chapel Hill, Pauli Murray returned as America's first female African-American Episcopal priest to celebrate her groundbreaking Eucharist there. A lifelong champion for human rights, Pauli Murray's struggles and insights resonate powerfully in our times. Celebrate her history; create our future. Join Hidden Voices, the Pauli Murray Project, and the Duke Human Rights Center as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of Pauli Murray's birth with a new play that explores the life and legacy of one of North Carolina's own.

The PAULI MURRAY PROJECT at the Duke Human Rights Center focuses on lifting up the life and legacy of human rights activist Pauli Murray; promoting open dialogue about current issues in Durham and their historic roots; documenting lesser-known Durham stories; and using history to grapple with social justice issues. For more information: www.paulimurrayproject.org

HIDDEN VOICES is about challenging, strengthening and connecting our diverse communities through the transformative power of the individual voice. For more information: www.hiddenvoices.org

To Buy the Sun is supported by grants from the Paul Green Foundation and Imagine Durham: Durham's Results Based Accountability Initiative.