Reverend James Lawson Jr.

Honoring Rev. James Lawson Jr.’s Legacy by Ensuring Workers ‘Know Their Rights’ 

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. referred to Reverend James Lawson Jr. as “the leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world.” In fact, for more than a half-century, Reverend Lawson has been a global leader of the nonviolence movement. In 1974, Reverend Lawson brought his activism to Los Angeles helping to revitalize the labor movement. His dedication to advancing workers’ rights and teaching students nonviolent tactics are a few of the many reasons why the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment has been renamed after him.