RENOWNED HOUSTON CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER, DIES AT 95

By: Sharon C. Jenkins Houston and the civil rights movement have lost a towering figure with the passing of Reverend William “Bill” Lawson, the esteemed founder of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, at the age of 95. Reverend Lawson, a lifelong advocate for justice and equality, passed away Tuesday morning, leaving behind a legacy of social activism that spanned decades. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he was raised in Kansas City, Kansas, where he developed a passion for civil rights and social change. In 1955, Rev. Lawson arrived in Houston to work at Texas Southern University (TSU), where he quickly became a central  figure in the fight for civil rights. & During his tenure at TSU, he and his wife, Audrey Lawson, founded the Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in 1962. Starting with just 13 members, the church grew under his leadership to become a beacon of hope and advocacy in Houston’s Third Ward, eventually boasting over 12,000 members. “Whatever title you may have used to describe him,” remarked Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, “it has been said many times that Rev. Bill Lawson was ‘Houston’s pastor.’” & Throughout his life, Rev. Lawson was deeply involved in the Civil Rights Movement, hosting luminaries...