Statue honoring civil rights activist born in Uniontown unveiled at Penn State Fayette

A statue honoring a local civic rights activist was unveiled at Penn State Fayette earlier this week.

Dr. James M. Lawson Jr. worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He died on June 9 at the age of 95.

The bronze statue, sculpted by New York-based artist Vinnie Bagwell, is a life-size figure of Lawson. Sculpted on his jacket are the faces of civil rights activists and others affected by his teachings.

Born in Uniontown, Lawson mentored and trained many key figures in the Civil Rights Movement, some of whom helped launch the Nashville sit-ins protesting segregation in stores. Lawson also helped develop tactics for the Freedom Riders, who rode segregated buses in protest of the non-enforcement of laws proclaiming such segregation unconstitutional.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2024 Cox Media Group