CCEJ is thrilled to announce that Reverend James Lawson Jr., prominent leader of the civil rights movement and one of the central architects of the non-violence movement in the United States, will bring his message of non-violence and equal rights to CCEJ's 23rd annual Interfaith/Intercultural Breakfast. On the eve of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, he called Lawson "the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world." Lawson has advocated for nonviolent social change for nearly seven decades, beginning with the first Freedom rides in the 1940s.
In 1951, Lawson served 14 months in prison after declaring himself a conscientious objector to the Korean War and refusing to accept either a student or ministerial deferment. After his incarceration, he lived three years in India, studying the principles of nonviolence taught by Gandhi.
Upon returning to the U.S. in 1957, Lawson enrolled as a divinity student at Oberlin College. He met Dr. King, who recruited Lawson to assist with the civil rights movement. Lawson moved south, transferred to Vanderbilt University, and trained countless student volunteers in Gandhian tactics of nonviolent direct action including Diane Nash and John Lewis.
His work resulted in his expulsion from Vanderbilt University. In 1974, Lawson moved to Los Angeles to serve as the pastor of Holman United Methodist Church. During the decades since, he has relentlessly spoken out against racism, war and injustice. Throughout his career and into retirement, Lawson has actively supported various human rights advocacy campaigns, including immigrant rights and opposition to war and militarism. He also served as a distinguished visiting professor at Vanderbilt University.
Mayor Bob Foster Rev. Sunshine Daye
City of Long Beach The Revealing Center
6:45 - 7:30 a.m. Registration / Boutique Individual $40.00
7:30 - 9:00 a.m. Program & Breakfast Harmony Table $400.00
9:00 - 9:30 a.m. B outique & Book Signing Peace Table $500.00
Celebration Table $750.00
Jubilee Table $1,200.00
Limited seating available *
Reservations must be received by February 4, 2014 *
Parking $7
kmcilquham@cacej.org or 562.435.8184