The American Caste Story

The American Caste Story is an "underground railroad" map of America's apartheid system. Lawrence's debut work doubles as a "concept mixtape", and an autobiographical statement about social systems' impact on humans around the world. The author explores systemic issues that relate to social, economic, and political conditions, using elements of poetry to depict the current state of affairs for members of the African diaspora and the world at large. The American Caste Story is the culmination of his life's work and an example of his passion for human rights advocacy.

A prolific writer and public speaker, Lawrence has studied, researched and worked in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Indonesia, Liberia, Palestine, Israel, South Africa, and the United States. He has worked with partners at multilateral institutions such as the United Nations (UN), U.S. Department of State, and the World Bank. With academic research papers presented at conferences in the U.S., and the University of Cape Town and the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, Lawrence has coordinated international events to improve access and opportunities for historically Black college and university students to engage and learn from professionals working internationally and on the African continent.

Lawrence is currently a graduate assistant in the Center for African Studies at Howard University, and a Ph.D candidate in Howard's African Studies department. He is the 2023-2024 News and Politics editor for The Hilltop, and an International Writer for The Afro Newspapers, the oldest African American collegiate newspaper and the longest-running African American family-owned newspaper in the U.S., respectively. He also utilizes his experience in advocacy, public policy, and research to lead the nonprofit he cofounded, Strong Men Overcoming Obstacles Through Hard-work, (SMOOTH) Inc., which is a mentoring, professional development and community service organization for Black males.

He is also the founder and CEO of Lawrence International, and creator and executive producer of GlobalBlackForum.com, a network that connects the African diaspora across nations, sectors and generations. Lawrence is a graduate of Morgan State University and the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and a member of the International Civil Society Working Group for the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.

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