"Nonviolent: A Memoir of Resistance, Agitation, and Love," by the late Rev. James Lawson Jr. and co-author Emily Yellin, is an important addition to the literature on the American Civil Rights Movement. The book will be released Tuesday, February 17, with a launch event at the New York Public Library and local events at the National Civil Rights Museum on Friday, February 20, and Sunday, February 22, at Centenary United Methodist Church, Rev. Lawson’s longtime church.
The memoir chronicles Lawson’s life from his first childhood experiences of racism through his involvement in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the desegregation of Nashville, the Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike, and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to his later work in Los Angeles surrounding the Rodney King trial and the civil unrest that followed, and much more.
Darel Snodgrass spoke with co-author Emily Yellin about Lawson’s presence at many of the movement’s defining moments, his behind-the-scenes role in pivotal campaigns, often at Dr. King’s request, the enduring importance of his philosophy of nonviolent direct action, and her family’s personal relationship with Lawson and his family.
The February 20 event at the National Civil Rights Museum will feature a conversation with Emily Yellin and Rev. Lawson’s son, John Lawson, moderated by former WNBC-TV New York anchor Carol Jenkins, along with local musicians and children of Memphis sanitation workers who took part in the 1968 strike.
Day 1:
Date: Friday, February 20
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: National Civil Rights Museum (450 Mulberry St)
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Day 2:
Date: Sunday, February 22
Time: 12:00 p.m.
Location: Centenary United Methodist Church (584 E McLemore Ave)
