For Immediate Release

Contact: Nick Voutsinos
Email: nvoutsinos@afscme.org

Saunders pays tribute to Rev. Lawson, ‘one of the greatest architects of social change in recent American history’

WASHINGTON– AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement on the death of the Reverend James Lawson:  

“We have lost an educator, an activist, a pastor, a civil rights giant and one of the greatest architects of social change in recent American history. No one was more courageously committed than Rev. James Lawson to the philosophy of nonviolent resistance — both as a moral imperative and an effective strategy for the pursuit of justice. Rev. Lawson’s connection to AFSCME dates back to the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike, when he led the faith coalition in the community on behalf of the workers and persuaded his friend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to join the struggle. But that was just one of many campaigns he undertook on behalf of the labor movement – because a belief in the dignity of work underpinned everything he did. Rest in power, Rev. Lawson. Your legacy will inspire generations to continue organizing for racial, social and economic justice.”

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AFSCME’s 1.4 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in communities across the nation, serving in hundreds of different occupations — from nurses to corrections officers, childcare providers to sanitation workers — AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and freedom and opportunity for all working families. 

AFSCME’s 1.4 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in communities across the nation, serving in hundreds of different occupations — from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers — AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and freedom and opportunity for all working families.

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American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO
1625 L Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036-5687
Telephone: (202) 429-1145
Fax: (202) 429-1120

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