Laura W. Murphy
has not forgotten what she learned as a child. Her family members were
always involved in politics in some form or another, which gave Murphy
a head start toward her future.
Today, Murphy is the director of the Washington National
Office of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which is the nation's
oldest and largest civil liberties organization. Murphy, the first woman
and African American to hold this title, is chief lobbyist on a variety
of issues, including censorship, reproductive freedom, immigrant rights
and electronic privacy.
Her most recent efforts have been directed at antiterrorism
policies that affect civil rights. According to a 2003 article in Ebony
magazine, Murphy states, "The government has used fighting terrorism
as an excuse for taking away our civil liberties."
Murphy's family was always into politics — both of her
parents ran for office 14 times. The ACLU director learned at an early age how
to speak in front of people, since she and her brother spent a lot of time campaigning
door-to-door for their parents. As a student at Wellesley College in Massachusetts,
she was president of the black student union and later interned on Capitol Hill.
After graduation, Murphy began her tenure at ACLU as a civil
rights lobbyist and development director at the ACLU's Foundation of Southern
California. She also has served as chief of staff for the California Assembly
speaker and legislative assistant for two members of Congress.
"Be in the mix.
Work on things that
really affect people's lives."
Her work has not gone unrecognized. Her years
of fighting for the rights of others have afforded her special honors. In
1998, the oldest Capitol Hill paper, Roll Call, named Murphy one of the 50
most influential Washingtonians in congressional politics.
The same year, the president of the American
Bar Association selected her to serve on its Advisory Commission to the Standing
Committee on Election Law. In 1997, she was honored by the Congressional Black
Caucus for her significant contributions to legislation that addresses the
needs of minorities in the United States.
According to Murphy, her secret to success
is to "be in the mix. Work on things that really affect people's lives."
