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Recognizing Reverend James Lawson's 95th Birthday

Floor Speech

By: Judy Chu
By: Judy Chu
Date: Sept. 20, 2023
Location: Washington, DC

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Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 95th birthday of my friend, Reverend James Lawson, who for more than half a century has been a force for justice and worker rights.

As a minister and teacher of nonviolent resistance, James Lawson was a leader of the civil rights movement and worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King. Lawson led sit-ins, Freedom Rides, and strikes, including the historic 1968 Memphis sanitation strike, and he was a mentor to our beloved John Lewis.

In 1974, Reverend Lawson moved to Los Angeles, where he teaches nonviolence at UCLA. His work orchestrating nonviolent sit-ins and civil disobedience helped improve working conditions for southern California hotel workers, generating a national movement for immigrant worker justice.

Reverend Lawson has been an inspiration to many as he continues the fight for freedom and justice.

Mr. Speaker, I wish Reverend Lawson a happy birthday.

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