LOS ANGELES — A celebration of the co-naming of a milelong stretch of Adams Boulevard in South Los Angeles as the Reverend James Lawson Mile will be held Thursday at Holman United Methodist Church.
The 4 p.m. unveiling of the sign at the church where Lawson was the pastor from 1974 to his retirement in 1999 will be preceded by a 3 p.m. march from the intersection of Adams and Crenshaw boulevards, the western end of the mile, to Arlington Avenue, its eastern end.
The peaceful march will pay homage to Lawson and his teachings of unity, according to Councilwoman Heather Hutt, who introduced the motion to name the stretch of the street for Lawson.
Hutt and Yvonne Wheeler, the president of the Los Angeles County Federation, will be joined in speaking at the unveiling by other community leaders and activists.
“Rev. James Lawson was a relentless advocate who, during the Civil Rights Movement, led Freedom Rides, advocated for voting rights, and truly built a legacy that left an indelible mark on social justice movements around the world,” Hutt said in a statement Sept. 21, two days after she introduced the motion to create the Reverend James Lawson Mile, which was approved by the council on a 13-0 vote Wednesday.
“As someone who pushed for a world of nonviolence and unity amongst all people, we must ensure that his legacy and name is carried on for generations to come. It brings me much joy to pay homage to the immense impact Reverend Lawson has made on our society by naming a portion of Adams Boulevard the Reverend James Lawson Mile.”
Born James Morris Lawson Jr. Sept. 22, 1928, in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, the son and grandson of Methodist ministers, Lawson was raised in Massillon, Ohio.
While a student at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, Lawson was drafted by the U.S. Army but refused to serve due to his belief in nonviolence and was sentenced to two years in prison.
Released after 13 months, Lawson returned to college to finish his…
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