From CSUN
He's credited as a key theoretician and tactician of nonviolence in the U.S. civil rights movement, a friend and ally of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and the teacher of iconic figures including John Lewis and Diane Nash. A onetime conscientious objector whose peaceful activism led to his ejection from teaching at Vanderbilt, which was so embarrassed by the action that it not only invited him back later but made him senior faculty, he led one of Los Angeles' notable African American church congregations before retiring after a quarter century. And now, the Rev. James Lawson Jr. (shown at left), who has opposed the Iraq war and supported the rights of immigrants and Palestinians and workers seeking a 'living wage,' will join the folks in Northridge for a year as a visiting scholar dedicated to pursuing a campus dialogue about 'civil discourse and social change.' Lawson's eight public lectures, starting with one on Sept. 13, and his facilitation of eight student workshops are, advocates say, part of the school's effort to ensure the campus community has the capacity to deal well with divisive national issues, including the current economic crisis, education budget cuts, and battles over the roles of diverse groups -- including gays, immigrants and people of color -- in contemporary society.
In Northridge, a visiting scholar post and new mission for the Rev. James Lawson
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