Filmmakers Karen Hayes and Pamela Tom discussed their upcoming documentary about the late Reverend James Lawson (Boston University, ’60) during the university’s annual MLK Commemorative Speaker Event as part of a series of events leading up to and following Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The filmmakers shared sections of the documentary — “A Better Way: James Lawson, Architect of Nonviolence” — to an audience of over 50 faculty and students.
Hayes and Tom’s documentary highlights Lawson’s role as an active leader of the civil rights movement as well as his dedication to the nonviolence movement in America. The scenes shown at the event included interviews with Lawson, footage from his workshops on peaceful resistance strategies and statements from his colleagues, students and other prominent civil rights activists. Hayes and Tom both produced the film while Hayes directed, and they both have extensive filmmaking backgrounds and received their respective MFA degrees at the University of California, Los Angeles.
The conversation was moderated by Phillis Isabella Sheppard — professor of religion, psychology and Culture and Womanist Thought. Sheppard also serves as the executive director of the James Lawson Institute for the Research and Study of Nonviolent Movements. Chancellor Daniel Diermeier opened the event, discussing Lawson’s legacy and labeling his expulsion from the university in 1960 for his participation in sit-in protests in Nashville as a “profound source of regret.”
“The opportunity to work with James Lawson was one of the greatest honors I have ever known,” Diermeier said.
Other events in this year’s commemorative series include the 40th Annual Nashville MLK March and Convocation on Jan. 20, followed by the MLK Joint Day of Service on Jan. 25.
Film discussion
The first of three film clips showcased during the event highlighted scenes from Lawson’s involvement in the civil rights movement, including moments from a nonviolent resistance workshop in which activists roleplayed the verbal and physical harassment they faced during sit-in protests in Nashville. Afterwards, Hayes and Tom discussed the filmmaking process, saying they wanted to avoid using a chronological timeline and instead opted to emphasize thematic patterns throughout Lawson’s life.
“Reverend Lawson was 95 while we were still making the film, and he had been active his entire adult life,” Hayes said. “There was just so much material to cover. And then you just get very attached to what you want — you feel everything is important.”
Sheppard asked the filmmakers about the inclusion of scenes involving racist language as it was directed at the activists. Hayes said she saw an importance in maintaining the history of the era, even the painful moments, to get a sense of the stakes.
“I think a lot of people may hear the term nonviolence [and] that’s what they think it is — you just don’t do anything,” Hayes said. “But [Lawson was] actively engaging in the humanity of the other person, and it just kind of transformed the moment.”
Another clip featured Lawson’s work with the Freedom Riders and his continued activism following the civil rights movement. Hayes shared her experience participating in his nonviolence workshops in Los Angeles.
“[To Lawson] it was very important for us to learn about Gandhi and the art and science of nonviolent direct action, non violent organizing. There was a mix of us in the workshop — working in labor, [doing] antiracism work, just across the board — and the techniques that he taught us, we were able to go back into our own organizing communities and apply those,” Hayes said. “Then in the mid 90s, I was newly out of film school, and so I felt like, ‘gosh, I’ve got to document this.’”
Tom expanded on her motivation behind making the documentary, saying she wanted to highlight Lawson as he was never one to “take the spotlight.”
“He was the teacher, the mentor, the trainer, and this is why he’s not as prominent in the narrative of civil rights as he should be, because he was comfortable in that role, and he was just never trying to put himself up first,” Tom said. “It was not important for him to be the subject of a film, until he realized that his peers were passing away, and that he wanted the story told accurately and to be out there in the world.”
Audience Q&A
Sheppard opened the Q&A portion of the discussion with a question about Hayes and Tom’s hopes for the documentary. Hayes expressed excitement about the educational opportunities to promote nonviolent practices she believes the film will bring. Tom said she hopes viewers will learn from Lawson’s legacy.
“In the process of working on this film, what I’ve been most impacted by is [Lawson’s] humanity — his ability to, especially in this very partisan climate that we’re living in, not demonize other people,” Tom said. “They’re not our enemies, they’re opponents, who can be won over.”
An audience member asked the filmmakers to speak about Lawson’s relationship with King. Hayes said Lawson spoke about his first meeting with King as a “mystical experience,” and the two continued to support each other and work together after that. According to Hayes, Lawson influenced King to speak out against the Vietnam War and invited him to Memphis to advocate for The Poor People’s Campaign.
“There was quite a bit of mentorship that Reverend Lawson did for Dr. King, which I think is not very well known,” Hayes said.
A last question from an audience member asked about the effectiveness of nonviolence, citing criticism from modern-day activists who say the strategy no longer works. Hayes said she sees the nonviolence movement as a life-long commitment. Tom echoed this sentiment, encouraging the audience to focus on positive changes despite the persistence of injustice.
“In a BBC interview or talk show that [Lawson] was on, he pointed to some of the accomplishments [he achieved], and he said these would not have happened had it not been for the nonviolent strategies that had been implemented,” Tom said. “Look to what has been done, not to where we still need to go, as the measure of success.”
Reception
A reception outside of Sarratt Cinema followed the speaker event. Melanated A Cappella performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing” — a hymn historically used in protest movements that has been labeled by the NAACP as “The Black National Anthem.” George Adae-Mensah, a senior and member of Melanated, expressed appreciation for the song he has performed during the MLK Commemorative Event Series for the past four years.
“It’s very exciting for us to be able to perform [the song] because Melanated was created for minority students, and MLK did a lot to get rights for Black students and everyone else,” Adae-Mensah said. “It’s really impactful to pay our respects the way we know, through singing.”
Junior Leela Waterford, also a member of Melanated, shared the impact she believes their performance of this song has brought to the group and everyone in the audience.
“I think it’s really powerful to learn this song and the history behind it, and to connect to everybody who has sung it before us or known it and the context that it was written in and who it was written for,” Waterford said.
In a conversation with The Hustler, Hayes said she believes the film highlights Lawson’s process of nonviolence resistance in a way other accounts of the civil rights movement have not, and she hopes this will encourage activists today to follow his legacy of peaceful activism.
“The thing that Reverend Lawson and Martin Luther King had in common was this commitment to nonviolence and a commitment to justice,” Hayes said. “[They were both] working for justice and equity but by using the science of nonviolence, using direct action.”
Hayes also shared that although the documentary is still in progress, it is expected to release later this year.