Freeman H. M. Murray (September 22, 1859 - February 20, 1950) was an intellectual, civil rights activist, and journalist in Washington D.C. and Alexandria, Virginia.

He was active in promoting black home-ownership, opposing Jim Crow laws and lynching, and supporting positive representation of African Americans in public art.

Alongside his other work, Murray was an important intellectual leader and wrote an influential book of art criticism.

After primary school, Murray attended Mount Pleasant Academy to train to be a teacher, one of three black students.

Murray was a bibliophile and learned French and Latin while continuing to work with his mother's father, Daniel Bentley in his whitewashing and painting business.

[1] Daniel Bentley was a major inspiration for Murray, having run a station on the Underground Railroad during the time of slavery and continuing to work for African American progress after the civil war.

R. H. Porter, William Gray, and Murray formed the New Era Building Association to aid blacks to purchase homes and invest savings.

Porter were elected by a group of Alexandria blacks to oppose segregated coach laws before the Virginia Legislature in Richmond.

[11] He was a prominent member of the movement, giving the opening address at the second national meeting of the group in August 1906 at Harpers Ferry.

In 1907 Murray and others were rallying opposition to Booker T. Washington's Tuskegee Institute and Theodore Roosevelt in the black press.

Washington sent his assistant, New York Customs Agent Charles W. Anderson to suggest action against the radicals to Roosevelt.

Anderson opposed the idea of Niagara movement members holding federal jobs and succeeded at convincing President Roosevelt that Murray should be demoted.

[1] The journal was published from 1907 to 1910; Murray was printer and Du Bois and Hershaw were co-editors[13] W. M. Sinclair and William Monroe Trotter were noted as other key players in the movement and involved in the magazine.

[1] Murray's book was concerned with the tendency of sculptures celebrating emancipation focusing on its heroes and great battles, and that they would tend to overlook slavery, thereby lessening its role in the national consciousness.