Violence, Nonviolence, and Marginality: Exploring the Non-Violent Leadership of Pentecostal Matriarch Lady Elsie Louise Washington Mason in the Civil Rights Movement

Drawing on historical documents, archival materials and literature, this study will explore the pivotal role played by Lady Elsie Louise Washington Mason. Mason's work uniquely as a Pentecostal black woman alongside her husband, C. H. Mason, founder of Church of God In Christ (COGIC), advocated for social justice and racial equality during a tumultuous period in American History. A critical analysis of Mason’s contributions will highlight the often-overlooked intersection of Pentecostalism, feminism, and nonviolent activism along through sharing her biography. This will serve as an example to elicit the need for more marginalized stories of Pentecostal women to be written. The lessons from her struggles, and grit as a marginalized Spirit-empowered woman can be applied in the ongoing struggle for equality. Her exemplary life and work reveals the ongoing tensions of the intersections of race and gender and the ever evolving need to implement change within Pentecostal denominations.