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

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

From Library Talks by The New York Public Library

February 25, 2026 · 58 min

About this episode

This episode explores the life and legacy of Rev. James Lawson Jr. and discusses his posthumous memoir on nonviolent resistance.

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.

People in this episode

Host: Michelle Miller

Guests: Emily Yellin, John C. Lawson II

Topics covered

  • civil rights
  • nonviolence
  • memoir
  • activism
  • racial injustice
  • economic injustice

Keywords

  • civil rights
  • nonviolence
  • memoir
  • activism
  • racial injustice
  • economic injustice
  • James Lawson
  • Martin Luther King Jr.

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Nonviolent: A Memoir of Resistance, Agitation, and Love

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