Nonviolent: The Life of Rev. James Lawson Jr. | LIVE from NYPL

Описание: Explore the life of one of the most influential yet unheralded heroes of the civil rights era. For event details and more, visit https://www.nypl.org/events/programs/...

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Nonviolent is a personal portrait of a principal architect of the civil rights era. Rev. James Lawson Jr. spent his life fighting racial and economic injustice. A peer of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he taught and organized nonviolent direct action, guiding generations of civil rights activists. Drawing on decades of activism—from studying independence movements abroad to serving prison time for refusing the Korean War draft—Nonviolent illuminates the life of a man who fought oppression and advanced equality, dignity, and liberty.

Emily Yellin, Lawson’s memoir collaborator, and his son, John Lawson, discuss his legacy with journalist Michelle Miller.


ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Emily Yellin is a journalist, writer, and producer. A longtime contributor to The New York Times and author of two other books, she produced a ten-part video series, 1,300 Men: Memphis Strike '68, for The Root. She first met Rev. Lawson when she was five, while attending elementary school in Memphis with his eldest son, John.

John C. Lawson II is a lawyer, judge, and father, and the eldest son of Rev. James M. Lawson Jr. and Dorothy Lawson. He began his career in the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office, where he spent nearly two decades representing some of the county’s most vulnerable residents. In 2009, he was appointed as a Los Angeles Superior Court judge and has dedicated much of his judicial career to working with young people, focusing on rehabilitation, education, and second chances. He has served as a supervising judge of the Los Angeles County Juvenile Justice division.

Much of John Lawson’s life and work is rooted in the values he learned watching his father lead movements for justice, dignity, and nonviolence, and his mother work as a public school teacher. He often describes his work with young people as a continuation of his parents’ legacy: meeting people where they are, believing in their potential, and helping them envision a path forward.

John was born in Nashville. His family soon moved to Memphis, where he was one of the first Black students at Memphis State University Campus elementary school. He continued his public school education during school busing when his family moved to Los Angeles in 1974, where he eventually graduated from Pacific Palisades High School in 1979. John earned his undergraduate degree in Government and Sociology from Oberlin College and his law degree from Howard University School of Law. John and his wife, Cima, live in Southern California and are the proud parents of Raven and Devin Lawson.

Michelle Miller is an Emmy Award–winning journalist whose work has been featured across CBS News for more than two decades. She has served as a correspondent for 48 Hours, anchored CBS News Streaming’s Eye on America, and spent many years as a co-host of CBS Saturday Morning. The journalist joined CBS News in 2004 and has reported on stories of national and international importance. Her reporting has earned her several prestigious journalism awards including an Emmy for her series of reports on the National Guard's Youth Challenge Academy. Miller is also the author of the New York Times bestseller Belonging: A Daughter's Search for Identity Through Loss and Love, a memoir which details her deeply personal journey of confronting her past and finding her voice. She earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Howard University and holds a master's degree in urban studies from the University of New Orleans.


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