Fran Finney Honored with Pauli Murray Award

Martha Hart, Deacon

Longtime parishioner, Frances Finney, in recognition of her numerous contributions to the community, received the annual Pauli Murray Human Relations Award at a ceremony held February 27 at New Hope Elementary School. Since 1990 the Orange County Human Relations Commission has recognized persons who have served the community in the cause of furthering equality, human rights and justice for all.

The award is named after Pauli Murray (1910-1985), a distinguished lawyer, professor, priest, writer, and activist who challenged discrimination, racism, and sexism throughout her life. She was denied admission to UNC because of her race and denied admission to Harvard because she was a woman!

Born in Durham, she had ties to the Chapel of the Cross through her slave grandmother, Cornelia, who raised Pauli. Cornelia was baptized in our parish in 1854 at the age of 10. Our chapel lectern was given to the parish in memory of Cornelia's "owner", Mary Ruffin Smith.

Following her years of work as a lawyer and activist for civil rights, Pauli went on to become the first African-American woman ordained an Episcopal priest in this country. She celebrated her first Eucharist in our parish in 1977.

Hence it is fitting that one of our own, Fran Finney, was the recipient of the award this year. Fran's energy and accomplishments are many, not the least of which is being the mother of eight children and grandmother of seven! Over the past several years, her ministries have included the following, some of which she continues currently:

• Member of a coalition which brought about the creation of the Duke Child Care Center which serves primarily lower salaried minority employees;
• Served the Orange County Rape Crisis Center in several capacities including two years as board president; Fran was instrumental in Chapel of the Cross receiving a community service award by the Center several years ago;
• Coordinated the local chapter of Yokefellows, a group that visits prisoners weekly at the Orange County Correctional Unit;
• Served on the board of the Orange-Alamance Prison Ministry which is currently working on the establishment of a Peace Center on the facility grounds and on transition issues faced by inmates following release;
• Active in People of Faith Against the Death Penalty, coordinating two worship services for the group in 2003 and 2004.

Fran is a longtime member of our parish Social Ministry Committee and is active in any outreach project the group undertakes. This includes assisting with housing homeless guests in our parish last summer; serving on a parish meal team that serves a meal each month at the Inter-Faith Council homeless shelter; assisting with Project 5000 food box collection for IFC and assisting with the December 2004 Alternative Gifts initiative.

Fran serves the parish faithfully as a lay reader and 5:15 service coordinator, and she is a former lay Eucharistic minister. She is a model of commitment to service to all persons, especially the "least of these" in our community, and is a most fitting recipient for the Pauli Murray award.

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