He won an athletic scholarship to Morgan State College in Baltimore, and later spent over two years with the US Army's Special Services, where he developed his talents as an entertainer.
[2] In 1962, reportedly at the invitation of Princess Margaret, Lawrence performed at the Jamaica Independence Festival,[4] and he appeared in Paris nightclubs in 1964.
[2] He became a successful nightclub entertainer,[4] and in 1965 had a reportedly successful nationwide tour on behalf of the "Teen 'N Tea Caravan", sponsored by the Tea Council of the U.S.A.[8] Lawrence started community work in Harlem as director of the Christ Community Church Recreation Center, and in 1965 led fundraising projects in support of new playgrounds as director of the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Youth Foundation in New York City.
[9] The initiative, including concerts and events hosted by Lawrence, allowed the church to buy vacant lots in Harlem and convert them into small community park areas as part of a Head Start program.
Lawrence continued to perform in clubs in the winter months, and organised the annual festival from the Parks Department in the spring and summer.
[2] The second festival in 1968 attracted a wider range of performers, including Count Basie, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Tito Puente, and Mahalia Jackson.
[1] The event, taking place over several weekends, was again filmed by Tulchin, and also involved the participation of community activists and civic leaders including Jesse Jackson.
In 1972, Lawrence made a series of allegations in the Amsterdam News against two of his former legal and business partners, claiming financial irregularities.
The Amsterdam News noted that Lawrence's claims were unsubstantiated, and, at the urging of Shirley Chisholm and Charles Rangel, the legal action was dropped.