Les Lester's Chronicle, Message Board

Les Lester's Chronicle, Message Board
[ Les Lester's Chronicle, Message Board ]

James Lawson

Posted by maestro on 8/29/2026, 10:03 am

Old-timers will want to read Chris Maisono's Jacobin magazine review of an autobiography of James Lawson, of blessed memory, the civil rights advocate par excellence of non-violent struggle who died a couple of years ago.

Lawson was a key organizer and trainer of the Nashville Movement. Chris uses the review to look at the traditions of non-violent struggle in the contexts of self-defense and the violence imposed on people by an unjust society. Thanks to Portside for sending it along.

https://portside.org/2026-08-28/james-lawson-was-civil-rights-movements-drill-sergeant?utm_medium=email&utm_source=portside-snapshot&fbclid=IwY2xjawT_029wZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5zjwXN1PX_Pui4eaoMugWxEDXNDgld5GnrfxlBHyPUeVvg907wKadYZ2CK0A_aem_Mfh1dPTrh8tbQ5WPzmC8rg

Re: James Lawson

Posted by gm on 8/29/2026, 6:55 pm, in reply to "James Lawson"

The thing is, you post these wonderful articles meant to inform & enlighten us but, for me, after reading them, too often they leave me depressed & despairing.

I always go back to the kind of centered & truly educated leaders we had then and compare them to the present bunch who engage in Civil Rights work as a hustle. How did we get from James Lawson to Al Sharpton and Benjamin Crump, to even Marc Morial, or whoever the current leader of the NAACP is. Anyway let me stop before I get desist notices. lol

I'm pretty sure we made the announcement here when he transitioned. RIP

His disagreement with Stokely Carmichael was legendary cuz even though Stokely admired Lawson, Carmichael felt there was room for defensive violence. And given whats unfolding all over the world, violence in the face of those seeking your extermination is justifiable.

"..he appears to have been a constitutionally virtuous person from childhood."
I agree! Wish more of today's current leaders had at least an ounce of virtue. There!

Re: James Lawson

Posted by maestro on 8/30/2026, 7:28 am, in reply to "Re: James Lawson"

Today's Civil Rights leaders no longer possess the moral, spiritual and intellectual qualities of the 1960s leaders. However, let us not despair. The rise of progressive leaders and their election to office ought to give us all hope.

Previous Message

Re: James Lawson

Posted by gm on 8/30/2026, 2:31 pm, in reply to "Re: James Lawson"

"Today's Civil Rights leaders no longer possess the moral, spiritual and intellectual qualities of the 1960s leaders."

Absolutely!
And i'm glad you included "intellectual qualities" in that sentence. That difference is A GLARING ONE! I mean, guys like James Lawson, Rosa Parks, Stokely Carmichael, James Farmer, Robert Moses, Jesse Jackson, Malcolm X, Angela Davis, Ossie & Ruby Davis(we don't even mention them anymore), George LESTER(heehee) Jackson, Andy Young, the Black Panther leaders, Kathleen Cleaver(eldridge treated her like shit), Elaine Brown(so did Huey), Dr King, and on and on and on...They were all deep thinkers and voracious readers.

Now fast forward to today's Black Civil Rights leaders: THEY ARE A CELEBRATION OF MEDIOCRITY!
And we have to play along with a fake acceptance of who and what they represent. I'M NOT DOING THAT SHIT - I'M NOT PLAYING THAT FUCKING GAME!
Anyway, I need to cool down...

And do you want me to get into the CORRUPTION part of it? I better not - don't want to raise my blood pressure😁

haha.. James Clyburn admits voting to confirm Clarence Thomas was mistake...

Posted by gm on 8/30/2026, 3:42 pm, in reply to "Re: James Lawson"

Well Duhhhh...
Everyone knew Clarenece Thomas, even then, was a huuuge sellout..
He and Anita Hill were the biggest Neo-Cons on the planet..(anita eventually flipped the script but..)..

Anyway, folks told James Clyburn not to vote to confirm Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court but he did - he listened to his conservative corporate sponsors instead..
Now he's claiming surprise & disappointment that uncle tomas has betrayed his people blah blah blah..

btw, to be fair, there were a few others who sincerely thought uncle tomas would change once he got on the court because of his experience with racism down south, but NOT!
Among those giving him the benefit of the doubt was our great poet Maya Angelou - she thought he'd change his neo-con ways on the Supreme Court. But NOT!

Back to James Clyburn...YOU SUCK THEN, YOU SUCK NOW!

btw, Cong. James Clyburn has issues with reparations too...

Posted by reminding gm on 8/30/2026, 4:38 pm, in reply to "haha.. James Clyburn admits voting to confirm Clarence Thomas was mistake..."

He worried that if the Democratic party publicly embraces the movement for Black reparations it would would hurt their electoral chances blah blah blah..
Sighhhh..so to Clyburn its all about not making white people feel uncomfortable. WhatEVAR!!!!

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