Rev. James Lawson, An Unsung Hero Of The Civil Rights Movement
Marc H. Morial
President and CEO
National Urban League
“Through nonviolence, courage displaces fear; love transforms hate. Acceptance dissipates prejudice; hope ends despair. Peace dominates war; faith reconciles doubt. Mutual regard cancels enmity. Justice for all overthrows injustice. The redemptive community supersedes systems of gross social immorality.” – Rev. James Lawson
History attributes the success of the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20th Century to nonviolence. The stoicism and quiet dignity of the marchers, the Freedom Riders, the lunch counter sitters stood in stark contrast to the brutality of the segregationists. Scenes of the confrontation, beamed via television into America’s living rooms and splashed across newspaper pages, shocked our collective conscience and galvanized support for the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act.