Emily Yellin and John C. Lawson II with Michelle Miller: Nonviolent

In this episode of Library Talks , we explore the life of one of the most influential architects of the civil rights era Rev. James Lawson Jr. and discuss his new posthumous memoir Nonviolent: A Memoir of Resistance, Agitation, and Love Rev. James Lawson Jr. spent his life fighting racial and economic injustice. A peer of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he taught and organized nonviolent direct action, guiding generations of civil rights activists. Drawing on decades of activism—from studying independence movements abroad to serving prison time for refusing the Korean War draft—Nonviolent illuminates the life of a man who fought oppression and advanced equality, dignity, and liberty. Emily Yellin, Lawson's memoir collaborator, and his son, John Lawson, discuss his legacy with journalist Michelle Miller.

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Emily Yellin and John C. Lawson II with Michelle Miller: Nonviolent is an episode from The New York Public Library Podcast by The New York Public Library.

This episode is 57:44 long.

This episode was published on Feb 25, 2026.

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