Bishop Lawson Does Iconic Social Justice!

Bishop Lawson in his lifetime was awarded many honors and degrees for his contributions as a humanitarian and for his scholastic and social justice achievements.

In 1950 while visiting Ethiopia, Bishop Lawson was granted an audience with His Imperial Majesty, Haile Selassie, a singular honor in that few people visiting Ethiopia except heads of state and/or ambassadors or state officials are granted audiences. He was awarded a medal of honor by His Majesty.

Among the honors received by him, one of the most highly prized was the Carver Award of Merit and Honorary Fellowship received in 1951 from the George Washington Carver Memorial Institute of Washington, D. C. In presenting the specially engraved scroll, Dr. Hobday, Chairman of the Awards Committee declared that the Institute was pleased to honor Bishop Lawson for his valuable, unselfish and tireless contribution to general human welfare, to Americanism, to the spread of education and tolerance among all peoples, and to the outstanding improvement of worldwide interracial understanding.

So that you can understand the stature of such an award, some other recipients were Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, William Randolph Hearst, Silas S. Strawn, past president of the American College of Surgeons, George Crile, past president of the American Medical Association, Darryl F. Zanuck, Joe Louis, former heavyweight champion of the world and Jackie Robinson, first black man to enter major league baseball, among others.

In June 1954 by special invitation of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie I, Bishop and Mrs. Evelyn Lawson went to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel to receive a special decoration, the Star of Ethiopia, making him a Commander of Ethiopia. This is one of the highest decorations that the emperor can bestow upon a foreign dignitary. Later, thousands were inspired by the prayer of Bishop Lawson during the special service at the Abyssinia Baptist Church in behalf of His Majesty.

Bishop Lawson also addressed the first "March On Washington" in 1957 with a young Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Dr. Ralph Abernathy in the background.

Even though the achievements were many and the work was strenuous Bishop Lawson, never did forget to tell the people about the saving power of Jesus Christ.