Laura W. Murphy (born October 3, 1955) is an American lobbyist and civil rights activist. She served as the director of the Washington Legislative Office for the

American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million. T ...

from 1993 to 2005.

Early life, family, and education

Murphy was born on October 3, 1955 in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

to Madeline Wheeler Murphy, a community activist, and judge William H. Murphy Sr., one of the first African-American judges to serve on Baltimore's district court. She is the sister of Judge Billy Murphy Jr. Murphy's uncle, George B. Murphy Jr., was a prominent African-American journalist. She is a great-granddaughter of John H. Murphy Sr., a publisher who founded the ''

Baltimore Afro-American The ''Baltimore Afro-American'', commonly known as ''The Afro'' or ''Afro News'', is a weekly African-American newspaper published in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the flagship newspaper of the ''AFRO-American'' chain and the longest-running Africa ...

'' newspaper. She is a direct descendent of

Philip Livingston Philip Livingston (January 15, 1716 – June 12, 1778) was an American Founding Father, merchant, politician, and slave trader from New York City. He represented New York at the October 1774 First Continental Congress, where he favored imposi ...

, a signatory of the

United States Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America in the original printing, is the founding document of the United States. On July 4, 1776, it was adopted unanimously by the Second Continen ...

. Murphy grew up in the

Cherry Hill Cherry Hill often refers to: * Cherry Hill, New Jersey, a township in Camden County, New Jersey * Cherry Hill, Prince William County, Virginia, a census-designated place Cherry Hill may also refer to: Places Canada * Cherry Hill, Nova Scotia, a ...

neighborhood in Baltimore. She graduated from

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a Private university, private Women's colleges in the United States, historically women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henr ...

with a bachelor of arts degree in 1976.

Career

After graduating from Wellesley, Murphy became one of the youngest legislative assistants on

Capitol Hill Capitol Hill is a neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., neighborhood in Washington, D.C., located in both the Northeast, Washington, D.C., Northeast and Southeast, Washington, D.C., Southeast quadrants. It is bounded by 14th Street SE & NE, F S ...

, working for Rep. Parren Mitchell, the first African-American congressman from Maryland. She also worked for Rep.

Shirley Chisholm Shirley Anita Chisholm ( ; ; November 30, 1924 – January 1, 2005) was an American politician who, in 1968, became the first black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. Chisholm represented New York's 12th congressional dist ...

, Mayor Willie Brown, Mayor

Sharon Pratt Kelly Sharon Pratt (born January 30, 1944), formerly Sharon Pratt Dixon and Sharon Pratt Kelly, is an American attorney and politician who was the mayor of the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1995, the first mayor born in the District of Columbia si ...

, and Rev.

Jesse Jackson Jesse Louis Jackson (Birth name#Maiden and married names, né Burns; born October 8, 1941) is an American Civil rights movements, civil rights activist, Politics of the United States, politician, and ordained Baptist minister. Beginning as a ...

. After working for Congresswoman Chisholm, Murphy was recruited by the

to be a lobbyist on civil and women's rights. Murphy served as the director of the Washington Legislative Office for the American Civil Liberties Union from 1993 to 2005. With ACLU, Murphy helped pass the

Fair Sentencing Act The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 () was an Act of Congress that was signed into federal law by United States President Barack Obama on August 3, 2010, that reduces the disparity between the amount of crack cocaine and powder cocaine needed to tr ...

and the

USA Freedom Act The USA Freedom Act (, ) is a U.S. law enacted on June 2, 2015, that restored and modified several provisions of the Patriot Act, which had expired the day before. The act imposes some new limits on the bulk collection of telecommunication meta ...

and testified over a dozen times before the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

. Murphy is the president of the law firm Laura Murphy & Associates. She led civil rights audits of

Airbnb Airbnb, Inc. ( , an abbreviation of its original name, "Air Bed and Breakfast") is an American company operating an online marketplace for short-and-long-term homestays, experiences and services in various countries and regions. It acts as a ...

in 2016 and

Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

in 2020. In 2016, she was named a

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

Advanced Leadership Fellow. She was a supporter of the legalization of

same-sex marriage in Maryland Same-sex marriage has been legally recognized in Maryland since January 1, 2013. In 2012, the state's Democratic representatives, led by Governor Martin O'Malley, began a campaign for its legalization. After much debate, a law permitting same- ...

Personal life

Murphy is married to Bill Psillas. She is a member of the Ruth Brewster Chapter of the

Daughters of the American Revolution The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (often abbreviated as DAR or NSDAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a patriot of the American Revolutionary War. A non-p ...

in Washington, D.C. In 2012, she attended the DAR's annual Continental Congress in Washington, D.C. and read from the Declaration of Independence at an Independence Day celebration.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, Laura W. Living people 1955 births 20th-century African-American women 21st-century African-American women Activists from Baltimore American Civil Liberties Union people American lobbyists American women civil rights activists Daughters of the American Revolution people Laura Wellesley College alumni