'Remember this night': Vanderbilt celebrates launch of James Lawson Institute

A collection of scholars and activists have come together at Vanderbilt University to advance a vision of a world without violence.  

Distinguished guests and performing artists convened Thursday night at Vanderbilt's Student Life Center to celebrate the launch of the James Lawson Institute for the Research and Study of Nonviolent Movements. 

The institute, which honors the achievements of Reverend James Lawson, a Vanderbilt alumnus and key architect of the nonviolent protests of the civil rights movement, will take advantage of Nashville's rich history in social justice to advance the study and practice of nonviolence. 

In a series of powerful speeches, speakers celebrated Lawson's legacy, but warned against complacency in a time when his seminal achievements are under threat. 

"Humanity has rarely faced more severe and heartbreaking challenges," said Chancellor Daniel Diermeier in his opening remarks, referencing climate change, war abroad and the erosion of civil liberties in the United States. But he lauded Lawson as “an unstoppable and forceful advocate for justice.” 

“He continues to entreat us to engage with one another in a message of love, not hate,” Diermeier said, “and he creates opportunities where we can cherish our common humanity in a time of deep polarization, in an age when these virtues are overlooked or ignored.” 

The institute, an interdisciplinary collaboration between Vanderbilt's Divinity School and the College of Arts and Sciences, originated during conversations between Lawson, Divinity School Dean Emilie Townes, and other scholars and activists in February 2020. 

Its purpose, Townes said, is twofold – to recognize the "rich civil rights and social justice history of Nashville," and to promote research, discussion and training in the tradition and practices of nonviolent protest. 

"This is not a research agenda for the sake of research, but an agenda for the transformation of society," said institute director and divinity school professor Phillis Sheppard.

Though the institute's official launch was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, programming, including public workshops and seminars, began in September 2021. 

Going forward, Sheppard said, the institute will form a youth council comprised of 13- to 17-year-olds interested in nonviolence to help plan programming for “the next generation.” There will also be a cohort of students from Nashville’s local colleges who will gather monthly to cultivate a commitment to strategic action.  

In addition, Sheppard described summer programming and, eventually, the development of degree and certificate programs grounded in nonviolent philosophies. 

Several guests, including Diermeier and keynote speaker John Seigenthaler, a journalist, emphasized the importance of the institute in "disturbing, uncertain times."

Siegenthaler called attention to the intense polarization in American society today, especially around the history of racism in the United States and how it is taught in schools.

"That is why the institute is so important,” he said. “Remember this moment. Remember this night. Remember you saw and heard Reverend Lawson here tonight, and help us make sure the real history of the movement is being told.”  

But Lawson himself, who concluded the event, described a more hopeful vision of the future.  

“We do not have to have the world in which we live,” he said. “There are tremendously better options. And I know that this institute, in the pioneering days that are ahead, will become a major beacon of hope to help unravel the movements that can turn all of us in the direction of hope and beauty and truth.”