b. 1928
James Morris Lawson, Jr. (1928–) is an American Methodist minister, theologian, and civil rights strategist who served as a principal architect of nonviolent direct-action theory within the American Civil Rights Movement. Trained in Gandhian nonviolence during time in India, he taught nonviolent resistance workshops that shaped a generation of activists including members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. His theological and philosophical work integrates Black liberation ethics with an epistemological insistence on the distinctive knowledge-producing role of African and African-descended communities.
Principal theorist and trainer of nonviolent direct action for the Civil Rights Movement
Organized the 1960 Nashville sit-in campaign, a model for nonviolent protest nationwide
Developed a theological framework linking Gandhian nonviolence with Black Christian ethics
Expelled from Vanderbilt Divinity School for civil rights activity, prompting faculty resignations in protest
Continued advocacy connecting Africana epistemology with social justice theology into the 21st century