Opinion: James Lawson and how ‘the Civil Rights Movement will have to become revolutionary’
“With an iron-grip commitment to nonviolence, Lawson called for campaigns of civil disobedience that pressed the demands of the larger Black community.”
Aram Goudsouzian
Aram Goudsouzian is the Bizot Family Professor of History at the University of Memphis and author of numerous books on race, politics and culture. He serves on the Board of Directors at the National Civil Rights Museum.
There are 9 articles by Aram Goudsouzian :
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June 2026
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Guest Columnists
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May 2026
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Guest Columnists Opinion: Seeking answers on redistricting in the National Civil Rights Museum
“Studying history yields a dividend: It brings us to a clearer understanding of who we are, what we believe, and what we do when the promise of our national creed does not measure up to the reality of our lives.”
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April 2025
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Guest Columnists Opinion: Don’t restrict stories such as Bayard Rustin’s
“The nation’s institutions should encourage an open exploration of its past — one that accounts for both triumphs and shortcomings, one that eschews sloppy oversimplification, one that highlights how history contains an array of voices that have shaped who we are today.”
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August 2023
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Guest Columnists Guest Column: Teaching this history is ‘an act of patriotism’
“To study history, then, is not to regurgitate a timeline of events, but to engage in a dynamic process of interpretation, with stakes for how we define ourselves.”
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February 2023
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Guest Columnists Goudsouzian: The 1973 Memphis State Tigers prove the power of sports
Gene Bartow’s Tigers showcased a model of Black achievement and interracial harmony. If they make another NCAA Tournament run, we will again hear about how Memphians unite around basketball.
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September 2022
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Guest Columnists Guest Column: Remembering James Meredith 60 years after he entered Ole Miss
While African Americans in Memphis lent refuge and support to Meredith — and the city’s authorities generally decried the violent resistance in Oxford — many shared the twisted resentments of their southern neighbors.
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June 2020
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GUEST COLUMN
Guest ColumnistsWhy protest? Recent killings resonate powerfully with black Memphians
Critics point out that these tragedies occurred outside of Memphis. They also complain that activists should focus on issues such as joblessness, educational deficits and crime. But in times of crisis, public protest is essential.
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November 2019
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Guest Columnists Amateur status + big-time sports = hypocrisy
Memphis sports fans are enraged about the enforcement of amateurism on the immensely talented basketball center James Wiseman, arguing that the NCAA’s execution is arbitrary and biased. In fact, amateurism, by its very nature, is arbitrary and biased.
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April 2019
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Guest Columnists How the election of 1968 changed us
The presidential campaign of 1968 was a last hurrah for the “Old Politics,” in which political machines and party leaders determined the major nominees. It also highlighted a “New Politics,” in which candidates took their cases to the people, through party primaries and modern technology.
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