Local 685 Mourns the Passing of Reverend James Lawson

AFSCME Local 685 – and the entire AFSCME family – mourns the loss of our friend and ally the Rev. James Lawson at the age of 95 in Los Angeles. Rev. Lawson was an educator, activist, pastor, and civil rights pioneer who was instrumental in the 1968 Memphis AFSCME Sanitation Workers’ Strike.

In a statement, AFSCME President Lee Saunders praised Lawson as “one of the greatest architects of social change in recent American history. 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.”

To learn more about the Rev. James Lawson and hear him in his own words, listen to AFSCME’s I AM Story podcast.

Rev. Lawson was proudly featured in the Local 685 calendar in January, 2024.