In an age where love seems increasingly elusive and commitment is often deciphered in code by the immediacy of a text or — the ultimate game changer — a Facebook status change from “single” to “in a relationship,” the idea of pouring out ones heart in full transparency and even proposing marriage via handwritten letter might seem a bit far fetched.

In 1997, when Laura W. Murphy received an old suitcase of family memorabilia from her father’s first cousin, she had no idea what it contained. In fact, it wasn’t until last year when she finally began sorting through the case that she discovered 12 letters documenting the courtship of her great-grandparents.

In a letter dated July 18, 1871, James Hughes writes to Mary Rebecca Lee:

“I shall employ no compliment neither shall I insult your good name by idle promises but should you accept me as your protector through life all my activity will be to promote your happiness and return passion of your heart.”

Aside from the obvious swoon factor, the significance of these letters is amplified by the fact that they were penned between a black man and a black woman six years after the end of the Civil War, amidst Reconstruction, as millions of newly emancipated slaves were getting a handle on their freedom. In an interview with The Washington Post, Murphy said, “They are not easy to read, but they are so romantic,” she said. “In those hard, oppressive conditions for African Americans, it was unusual for black people to be so learned and to have the education to write so well when it was illegal for black people to be educated.” In this context, the letters aren’t only part of Murphy’s family history, they are a part of American history in general, and African-American history specifically. As such, they will be featured in the Smithsonian’s new African American Museum of History and Culture.

James and Mary would go on to marry and raise five daughters. The couple, successful entrepreneurs and owners of a catering business that lasted for 74 years, yielded enough wealth that James left each of their children $20,000 when he died in 1921.

This laid a foundation that has sustained the prominence of the Murphy family to this day. The daughter of a state district court judge, Laura W. Murphy is a civil rights activist and the first African American and woman to serve as the director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Washington legislative office. In fact, she recently worked with tech giant, Airbnb, to tighten up their anti-discrimination measures. Her brother Billy Murphy is the attorney who represents the family of Freddie Gray, whose death in Baltimore police custody further fueled the Black Lives Matter movement.

All of this black excellence began with a letter between a man and the woman he loved.

I, for one, will definitely be making a beeline for this display upon the opening of the Smithsonian’s new African American Museum of History and Culture on Sept. 24th.

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Laura W. Murphy

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