JENNIFER LAWSON
1h 32 min | English | 11 December 2019
A native of Fairfield, Alabama, Jennifer Lawson participated in the Children's Crusade marches to protest racial segregation in Birmingham in May 1963 and continued her civil rights work after entering Tuskegee University later the fall. From 1964-1969, Ms. Lawson worked as a field secretary and organizer for SNCC in Lowndes County, Alabama and the Mississippi Delta.
This interview has two parts. In Part I (0:00:48), Project Director Gregg Ivers interviews Ms. Lawson about her life and work in the Southern civil rights movement. In Part II (1:06:05), Ms. Duval, Ms. Dominique and Ms. Robinson conduct individual interviews with Ms. Lawson about what motivated her to enter the Southern freedom movement, the challenges of student activism, and the difference between the African American experience in the North compared to the South.
An interview with Jennifer Lawson for the Julian Bond Oral History Project, sponsored by the School of Public Affairs at American University. The project documents the professional rise of Julian Bond from 1960-1968, focusing on his early years in the Atlanta student movement, his work as a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and his rise to national prominence. Conducted by Gregg Ivers, Professor of Government and Project Director, in Washington, D.C., on December 11th, 2019.
American University students Isabella Dominique, Sarah Duval and Astonique Robinson also interviewed Ms. Lawson.
This video is for educational use only. Copyright restrictions may apply.
Project Director: Gregg Ivers, Professor of Government, American University
Webmaster: Jessica K. Merriman