RELEASE: Rep. Khanna Announces Congressional Gold Medal Legislation to Honor Rev. Dr. James Lawson on 90th Birthday
Co-Hosts: Reps. John Lewis, Emanuel Cleaver, James Clyburn
Washington, DC – Rep. Khanna, with support from Reps. John Lewis, James Clyburn and Emanuel Cleaver, plans to introduce legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to civil rights icon Reverend James Lawson, who celebrated his 90th birthday last month. Reverend Lawson will be making a trip to Washington D.C. for the event on Wednesday, November 14th. Lawson is recognized as one of the top five most consequential leaders of civil rights and the event will be a historic moment in itself with Rep. Lewis and Reverend Lawson sharing their observations.
Lawson spent three years in India as a missionary and studied Gandhi's strategy of nonviolent struggle before returning to the United States to become a leader in the Civil Rights movement. Called the "architect of the Civil Rights movement" by Rep. John Lewis, Lawson trained many civil rights activists including the Little Rock Nine and organized campaigns including the Freedom Riders and the Nashville lunch counter sit-ins. Dr. King called Lawson the "leading theorist and strategist of nonviolence in the world." Lawson continues to be active in civil rights and economic justice campaigns today, including the fight for a living wage.
Khanna's grandfather, Amaranth Vidyalankar, was imprisoned alongside Gandhi during India's independence movement that inspired Khanna's commitment to human rights. Both Lawson and Dr. King were influenced by Gandhi's approach to nonviolence in advancing equality.
The event to honor Rev. Lawson and announce the introduction of the Congressional Gold Medal will be held on Wednesday, November 14th at 10am in 421 Cannon HOB. Media are invited to attend and should RSVP to Heather.Purcell@mail.house.gov. A media advisory will be sent in November as well.
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