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    Nonviolent

    A Memoir of Resistance, Agitation, and Love

    Author Reverend James Lawson Jr., Emily Yellin
    Foreword by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.
    Ebook
    Random House Group | Random House
    On sale Feb 17, 2026 | 688 Pages | 9780593596258
    Grades 9-12 + AP/IB
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    The posthumous memoir of Rev. James Lawson Jr., peer of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., mentor to Congressman John Lewis and the Freedom Riders, and a principal architect of a nonviolent resistance movement that changed the world.

    “This book is a gift to be treasured, from a man who has already given so much.”—Jonathan Eig, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of King: A Life

    Rev. Lawson was one of the most influential yet unheralded heroes of the civil rights era. He rose as a strategist, teacher, and organizer in pivotal campaigns on the national stage against racial and economic injustice.

    Lawson’s memoir spans 95 years, but it begins far from the spotlight in a large, working-class Ohio family. The son and grandson of Methodist ministers, he receives his license to preach before graduating from high school.

    Lawson goes on to serve time in prison for refusing the Korean War draft, and learns from independence movements during three years in India and Africa. He then fortifies the principles of a new American Revolution when he teaches nonviolent direct action centered in love and moral clarity to the Little Rock Nine, the Mississippi Freedom Summer volunteers, and countless others. He also becomes a leader in the 1960 Nashville sit-ins, the 1963 Birmingham campaign, the 1966 Meredith March Against Fear, and the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers' strike.

    Nonviolent delivers an intimate self-portrait of Lawson as a man who recognized the inherent dignity of everyone, and challenged all forms of violence, including police brutality, enforced poverty, and what he called plantation capitalism. It shows his quest for justice continuing in Los Angeles well into the 21st century, as he helped foster a more inclusive labor movement and an enduring immigrant rights movement.

    Nonviolent is a riveting historical narrative from a central figure in global liberation and a testament to compelling a nation to live up to its founding ideals of liberty and justice for all.
    Rev. James Lawson Jr. was a pastor who was integral to the Civil Rights Movement and a key figure in ongoing campaigns for labor, gender, and immigrant rights. He introduced the tactical, philosophical, and spiritual facets of nonviolence to generations of activists, and inspired countless people worldwide to join in creating the beloved community.

    Emily Yellin is a journalist, writer, and producer. A longtime contributor to The New York Times and author of two other books, she produced a ten-part video series, 1,300 Men: Memphis Strike '68, for The Root. She first met Rev. Lawson when she was five, while attending elementary school in Memphis with his eldest son, John.
    Reverend James Lawson Jr. View titles by Reverend James Lawson Jr.
    Emily Yellin View titles by Emily Yellin
    “James Lawson Jr. is perhaps the most important American of the post–World War II period whose significance has not been sufficiently appreciated by a wide audience. This memoir should change that. In his trademark voice of compassion and reason, Lawson takes us on an illuminating journey to the heart of the freedom movements of the 1960s and beyond. Without his tutelage in nonviolence and his steadfastness amid storm, we would be living in a different, less just nation. . . . A towering book by a giant of a man.”—Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of And There Was Light

    “This book is a gift to be treasured, from a man who has already given so much. James Lawson Jr. was one of America’s great teachers and unsung heroes. Here, in his own words, he tells a story that seems almost impossible to believe, about a group of freedom-loving nonviolent crusaders who worked to build a more just and loving society. If it happened once, it can happen again, and Reverend Lawson shows us the way in these glorious, searing, hopeful pages. . . . An essential read, now and forever.”—Jonathan Eig, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of King: A Life

    “If there is an unsung hero of the twentieth century who changed the world, it's Rev. James Lawson. He was a brilliant thought leader, tactician, and the architect of nonviolent activism in the United States. At a time of escalating militarism, violence, fear, and retribution, this powerful memoir should be required reading. We should all be students of James Lawson, and this extraordinary book is a great place to start.”—Bryan Stevenson, New York Times bestselling author of Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

    “What is school without the teacher? Reverend Lawson taught a generation of young civil rights leaders, from the Nashville Movement to SNCC, and paved the way for America's modern fight to become a just Union. As we fight for yet another moral shift in this country, his story is essential, and could not be more timely.”—Joy-Ann Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America

    “This wonderful book is a powerful reminder that moral clarity can improve the world. . . . [Nonviolent] belongs in every library in the U.S. An expansive, inspiring autobiography by a crucial figure in the Civil Rights movement.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

    About

    The posthumous memoir of Rev. James Lawson Jr., peer of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., mentor to Congressman John Lewis and the Freedom Riders, and a principal architect of a nonviolent resistance movement that changed the world.

    “This book is a gift to be treasured, from a man who has already given so much.”—Jonathan Eig, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of King: A Life

    Rev. Lawson was one of the most influential yet unheralded heroes of the civil rights era. He rose as a strategist, teacher, and organizer in pivotal campaigns on the national stage against racial and economic injustice.

    Lawson’s memoir spans 95 years, but it begins far from the spotlight in a large, working-class Ohio family. The son and grandson of Methodist ministers, he receives his license to preach before graduating from high school.

    Lawson goes on to serve time in prison for refusing the Korean War draft, and learns from independence movements during three years in India and Africa. He then fortifies the principles of a new American Revolution when he teaches nonviolent direct action centered in love and moral clarity to the Little Rock Nine, the Mississippi Freedom Summer volunteers, and countless others. He also becomes a leader in the 1960 Nashville sit-ins, the 1963 Birmingham campaign, the 1966 Meredith March Against Fear, and the 1968 Memphis sanitation workers' strike.

    Nonviolent delivers an intimate self-portrait of Lawson as a man who recognized the inherent dignity of everyone, and challenged all forms of violence, including police brutality, enforced poverty, and what he called plantation capitalism. It shows his quest for justice continuing in Los Angeles well into the 21st century, as he helped foster a more inclusive labor movement and an enduring immigrant rights movement.

    Nonviolent is a riveting historical narrative from a central figure in global liberation and a testament to compelling a nation to live up to its founding ideals of liberty and justice for all.

    Author

    Rev. James Lawson Jr. was a pastor who was integral to the Civil Rights Movement and a key figure in ongoing campaigns for labor, gender, and immigrant rights. He introduced the tactical, philosophical, and spiritual facets of nonviolence to generations of activists, and inspired countless people worldwide to join in creating the beloved community.

    Emily Yellin is a journalist, writer, and producer. A longtime contributor to The New York Times and author of two other books, she produced a ten-part video series, 1,300 Men: Memphis Strike '68, for The Root. She first met Rev. Lawson when she was five, while attending elementary school in Memphis with his eldest son, John.
    Reverend James Lawson Jr. View titles by Reverend James Lawson Jr.
    Emily Yellin View titles by Emily Yellin

    Praise

    “James Lawson Jr. is perhaps the most important American of the post–World War II period whose significance has not been sufficiently appreciated by a wide audience. This memoir should change that. In his trademark voice of compassion and reason, Lawson takes us on an illuminating journey to the heart of the freedom movements of the 1960s and beyond. Without his tutelage in nonviolence and his steadfastness amid storm, we would be living in a different, less just nation. . . . A towering book by a giant of a man.”—Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of And There Was Light

    “This book is a gift to be treasured, from a man who has already given so much. James Lawson Jr. was one of America’s great teachers and unsung heroes. Here, in his own words, he tells a story that seems almost impossible to believe, about a group of freedom-loving nonviolent crusaders who worked to build a more just and loving society. If it happened once, it can happen again, and Reverend Lawson shows us the way in these glorious, searing, hopeful pages. . . . An essential read, now and forever.”—Jonathan Eig, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of King: A Life

    “If there is an unsung hero of the twentieth century who changed the world, it's Rev. James Lawson. He was a brilliant thought leader, tactician, and the architect of nonviolent activism in the United States. At a time of escalating militarism, violence, fear, and retribution, this powerful memoir should be required reading. We should all be students of James Lawson, and this extraordinary book is a great place to start.”—Bryan Stevenson, New York Times bestselling author of Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

    “What is school without the teacher? Reverend Lawson taught a generation of young civil rights leaders, from the Nashville Movement to SNCC, and paved the way for America's modern fight to become a just Union. As we fight for yet another moral shift in this country, his story is essential, and could not be more timely.”—Joy-Ann Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America

    “This wonderful book is a powerful reminder that moral clarity can improve the world. . . . [Nonviolent] belongs in every library in the U.S. An expansive, inspiring autobiography by a crucial figure in the Civil Rights movement.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

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