REVEREND JAMES LAWSON ANNOUNCED AS RECIPIENT OF CHAIRMAN’S AWARD FOR 52ND NAACP IMAGE AWARDS

BEVERLY HILLS, CA (March 4, 2021) – Today, the NAACP announced that Civil Rights Movement icon Rev. James Lawson will receive the prestigious NAACP Chairman’s Award during the 52nd NAACP Image Awards. The Chairman’s Award, which is sponsored by Wells Fargo, is bestowed in recognition of individuals who demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change. Past honorees of the Chairman’s Award include Tyler Perry, then-Senator Barack Obama, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Former Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, Ruby Dee, The Neville Brothers, Bono, Danny Glover, and last year’s recipient the late U.S. Congressman John Lewis. The award will be presented to Rev. James Lawson during the two-hour LIVE TV special airing on BET and will be simulcast across ViacomCBS networks including CBS, BET Her, VH1, MTV, MTV2, and LOGO on Saturday, March 27th, 2021 at 8/7c.

As a prominent civil rights leader, revered teacher and mentor, Rev. James Lawson is one of the most impactful social justice leaders of the twentieth-century. Rev. Lawson will be honored with the Chairman’s Award in recognition of his work as a social change advocate and his critical contributions to the civil rights movement, specifically the integral role in the nonviolent protests of the south in the 1960s.

“Last summer we saw millions around the world take to the streets in the most powerful protests for racial justice and civil rights in a generation. These protests were inspired by the work of Civil Rights Movement leaders like Rev. James Lawson,” said Chairman Leon W. Russell. “In this pivotal moment for Black history, there is no better time to recognize Rev. Lawson’s tremendous contributions to American history and to live up to his example.”