The "Dean of the Civil Rights Movement", Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery

Civil rights activist, minister, and cofounder of the nonprofit organization, Southern Christian Leadership Conference Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery (1921-2020) was born in Huntsville, Alabama on October 26th, 1921 to Dora Marie Lowery and Leroy Lowery.

FAMILY BACKGROUND:

When asked about his family background Lowery described his paternal grandmother, Ma Polly as “quite a woman because she had a very limited academic--her educational experience was very limited, but she was a very strong woman who raised those two boys almost by herself…And we had a great deal of respect for her, and my family, my, my knowledge and my pride in my family history rests, a, a great deal of it rests in her dignity, her sense of who she was and her pride and her, her, her self-esteem, in spite of all the oppressive things that she had to experience.” [1]

Lowery also describes his mother, Dora Marie Lowery ‘s family and educational background, and how she was an involved member within the church community:

“[She] grew up in [a] large family out in the Western part of, of Huntsville…and she attended Normal School, which grew into Alabama A&M University that it is now. And she sang in the choir in my church, and I went to church at least twice every week.” [2]

Although he did not know it then, Lowery later acknowledges how his mother established the roots for his career as a minister.

Lowery’s father, Leroy Lowery, owned an ice cream parlor with billiards in Huntsville, Alabama. Lowery further describes his father with great respect:

“He was a grand man. He was a great inspiration to me. Not having finished high school, he learned--he could read and write and figure, kept his records himself very well, and was a successful, small businessman in a little town where, where success meant that you, you know, you could live above the, the existence level. But he made a good living, and my sister and I benefited from it. And, and hold him in great, with great reverence, I think of my father and mother, but my father, especially his honesty, integrity. He would not tolerate any kind of dishonesty or that kind of thing. [3]

CHILDHOOD:

Before relocating to Chicago, Illinois for education, Lowery spent his early childhood in Huntsville, Alabama. When asked to describe Huntsville, Lowery recalls it “not [being] a very big town” [4] with “all the people who lived out in the rural areas came to town to do shopping and socializing and so forth on Saturday.” [4]

EARLY EDUCATION:

After concerns about the quality of his education, Lowery’s father decided to send Lowery to Chicago for the majority of his middle and high school education:

“I attended St. Elizabeth, and my father was very pleased that I was exposed to that, what he thought was a better educational experience and a better environment all together in Chicago. And I stayed there three years at St. Elizabeth and then went to [Jean Baptiste] DuSable High [School, Chicago, Illinois] for my ninth and tenth grade.” [5]

However, “in the eleventh grade I went back to Huntsville. The lady I was staying with became ill. My father brought me back home to go to school. And then I went out to Council Training School at Alabama A&M [University, Normal. Alabama] , which is the, the school I referred to later that was also named after William Hooper Council, and I finished high school at this training school out at A&M, where I played on the soft--school softball team and for one year on the school football team.” [5]

In 1939, Lowery graduated high school and made his decision to attend Knoxville College in Knoxville, Tennessee.

COLLEGE:

Unsure of his future career path, Lowery attended Knoxville College for two years and recalls being inspired by a preacher on the college campus:

“It was there that I met another preacher. Sam Williams was the first preacher I met when I was at A&M in the high school and in the summer classes. But I met a man name Ben Evans, who was a Presbyterian preacher at Knoxville and the chap--and the pastor of the college. And he impressed me greatly. I enjoyed his sermons.” [6]

With the inspiration from both preachers, Lowery decided to become more involved with not only the ministry, but also with volunteering in the local community. Lowery further details his journey in becoming more involved with the ministry:

“It was more or less a, a slow process of, of, of nagging, you know, that this is something--I didn't think, I, I became more and more interested in sermons that I heard. I, I became interested in, in the social aspect of the gospel. I became active in the, in the NAACP Youth chapters and so forth. And when I'd come home back to Huntsville during the summer, I would work with youth activities related to, to, not only church activities, but civic activities.” [7] Through civic service and his knowledge of the social conditions of African Americans, Lowery gained interest in religion and ministry and how the two intersect. When Lowery decided to pursue the career path of a full-time minister, his father “was uneasy about that. And it was only after he heard me preach my first sermon that he became reconciled to the fact that, that I was gonna preach. And he was pleased with it” [8]

Additionally, Lowery provides detail on the positive environment of Knoxville College: “it was a, a good school, small enough for teachers to relate to students on a, on a one-to-one basis so that it was not impersonal as some of the big college and universities.” [6]

Although he attended for two years, Knoxville College had a lasting impression on Lowery’s career aspirations. Lowery transferred “to A &M, and then went back to Payne College [Birmingham, Alabama] and finished.” [9]

Knoxville College in Knoxville, Tennessee.
PHOTO CREDITS: Wikipedia

POST-COLLEGE:

After graduating from Payne College, Lowery continued serving as a pastor at the place where he completed his seminary studies “at a little [Methodist Episcopal] church in Birmingham, now they call East Thomas” [10] which recalls as being “was a good experience and was, it was an unusual church. It gave me an urban flavor, but yet it had the small-town setting, in that it was a little village by itself out there on the edge of Birmingham.” [10]

A year later, Lowery became a minister in Alexander City, Alabama which he describes as “a larger church, but, of course, a smaller community… And it was very interesting. I stayed there three years, and that was at about the time that integration movement--it was the late '40's [1940s] and early '50's.” [10]

INVOLVEMENT IN MOBILE, ALABAMA:

After leaving Alexander City, Lowery relocated to Mobile, Alabama to where he eventually met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) “at a meeting in Montgomery, the Alabama Council on Human Relations.” [11].

Soon, Lowery and King developed a friendship and worked side by side to desegregate buses in Mobile. When asked about the differences between desegregation efforts in Mobile and Montgomery, Alabama, Lowery recalls little resistance in Mobile:

“[There was] no media attention because there was no resistance. So we then asked the bus company to hire black bus drivers. And within five or six months, they had hired two black bus drivers. So we never the kind of crises in Mobile that they had in Montgomery and in Birmingham. So we never got the media attention. But Mobile was--and, and media attention always followed resistance. It was the white behavior that determined how much media coverage you got. If, if whites didn't resist, then no matter what blacks did, you didn't get much attention. But if the Klan was gonna show up or if the town was gonna arrest, then you got attention. So Montgomery and Birmingham got the attention, and Mobile didn't. But Mobile desegregated their buses.” [11]

In 1961, Lowery relocated from Mobile, Alabama to Nashville, Tennessee.

A photo of Joseph Lowery (center) and Martin Luther King, Jr. (left)
PHOTO CREDITS: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/28/us/joseph-lowery-dead.html

SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP COUNCIL (SCLC):

After the success of desegregating buses in both Mobile and Montgomery, Alabama, Lowery continued to meet with other notable Civil Rights leaders. Lowery recalls on the birth of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957:

“[Dr.] Martin [Luther King, Jr.] and Ralph [Abernathy] in Montgomery, Fred Shuttlesworth in Birmingham… and C. G. Gamillion (ph.) in Tuskegee. And we used to meet in Montgomery every month to talk about our different trials and tribulations to strengthen each other, to commensurate with each other and to talk about strategies. And out of those meetings, came the suggestion to hold a South-wide meeting.” [12]

In a later portion of his interview, Lowery details and milestones regarding his involvement in the SCLC. For ten years (1957 – 1967), Lowery served as Vice President of the SCLC. Then, for another ten years (1967 – 1977), Lowery served as Chairmen of Board. For a total of twenty-one years (February 1977 – January 1998), Lowery served as President of the SCLC, longer than Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ralph Abernathy combined. [15]

Joseph Lowery stands in front of a SCLC building
PHOTO CREDITS: https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/joseph-lowery-1921-2020/

CIVIL RIGHTS PARTICIPATION IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE AND BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA:

Lowery details his responsibilities for the SCLC when living in Nashville:

“I became president of the, what we called Interaction Council in, in Nashville. And we worked to desegregate all the public accommodations in Nashville, restaurants, hotels and so forth. But I would come down to Birmingham during some of the marches and the Movement in Birmingham. Strangely enough, I moved to Birmingham in '64 [1964].” [13]

In the same year that Lowery moved to Birmingham, he served as the head of Ministerial Alliance in Birmingham:

“We continued the process of desegregation because it had not been completed because we were still fighting public, segregation on public accommodation. That didn't occur until the middle of '64 [1964] when the '64 [1964] Public Accommodations Act was passed, and the public facilities were, were desegregated in, all throughout the country, but throughout the South where the law demanded segregation on the buses.” [13].

SELMA TO MONTGOMERY MARCH:

Despite the passing of the Public Accommodations Act in 1964, Lowery worked with other leaders to desegregation. As vice president of the SCLC [15], Lowery played a significant role in the Selma to Montgomery March. Lowery reflects upon society’s attitude after the infamous “Bloody Sunday” occurred, where individuals who marched in Selma were “beat mercilessly” [14]:

“It's the nature of the resistance very often that determines national attitudes and positions. And people became disgusted and outraged and infuriated at such fierce and vicious and violent resistance to people's right to exercise their first amendment rights and to seek the right to vote. And so that became the, the straw that broke the camel's back in terms of voting. And, of course, and we did have the march from Selma to Montgomery, march all the way. And the government protected us as we marched from Selma to Montgomery.” [14]

A group of men are holding up signs demonstrating their right to vote and ending brutality in Alabama — Demonstrators with signs at Selma to Montgomery March
PHOTO CREDITS: Unsplash Image @unseenhistories

INVOLVEMENT WITH SOUTH AFRICA:

Lowery’s passion and dedication for equal rights among Black individuals extended beyond the United States to apartheid South Africa. Lowery details his involvement in boycotting South Africa in the late 1970s:

“[There were] two major encounters around South Africa. One was with a grocery chain, that the women discovered and that was selling South African products, some frozen and canned products from South Africa when we were in the midst of the sanctions against South Africa. And the other one was against the Southern Company” which “had a coal contract with South Africa. “entered a contract with South Africa for ten million tons of coal”. [16]

After several months and demonstrations, the Southern Company cancelled the contract and the products within the grocery chain were taken out of the stores.

Demonstrators boycotting the grocery store chain, Winn Dixie

“ I would like to be remembered as a preacher who tried his best to apply the moral imperatives and to help people apply the moral imperatives of the faith to the practical problems of our time, that being loving is being a good neighbor, is being a good citizen, is being a good Samaritan to whoever needs your help, irrespective of race, color or creed; that being faithful is, is not letting people make you compromise on principle for what you believe in, in terms of justice and righteousness and parity. I, I’d like to be remembered as a preacher who tried to, to preach that kind of a gospel, and to practice it in his leadership and in his, and in his life [17].”

— Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery

SEARCH RESULTS:

“LOWERY”

“JOSEPH + LOWERY”

Student Ambassador Bi-Weekly Update:

With the spring semester finally here, myself and fellow Student Ambassador, Lillian Jackson are finalizing details for the Black History Month Contest.

Last week, I contacted four Graduate Assistants (GA) in different dorms to ask for their help in promoting the HistoryMakers Digital Archive in their respective dorm group chats. I would send them information about The HistoryMakers Digital Archive and events we will have on campus and have each GA send it to students in the dorm-wide group chats.

Although each GA agreed to assist with promoting The HistoryMakers Digital Archive, one of them told me to contact the Office of Residence Life to obtain permission for the GA’s to promote The HistoryMakers Digital Archive and posting physical flyers.

Additionally, I had a phone conversation with Ms. Middleton, the director of Theater Studies. Within the conversation, I asked her to be a judge for the HistoryMakers Memory Match Game and to schedule a time to speak to one of her classes about the use of The HistoryMakers Digital Archive within the theater program. Once Ms. Middleton’s teaching schedule is finalized, she will reach out to me with a time to speak with one of her classes and whether or not she can serve as a judge for the Black History Month Contest.

This week, I contacted Ms. Middleton via email regarding our previous phone call. I also contacted the Office of Residence Life to follow up on the initial email I sent to them on Wednesday, January 11th. As of now, I am awaiting to hear back from both parties.

Furthermore, I contacted Dr. Calandruccio, the Professor of Auditory Perception at Case Western Reserve University. Although Case Western Reserve University is not a subscribing institution for the HistoryMakers Digital Archive, my department of Communication Sciences & Disorders (CSD) has collaborated with them in the past. I emailed Dr. Calandruccio to schedule a meeting to introduce The HistoryMakers Digital Archive to students at Case Western Reserve University.

REFERENCES

1. Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery (The HistoryMakers A2003.185), interviewed by Larry Crowe, August 13, 2003, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 1, story 4, Joseph Lowery describes his paternal grandmother

2. Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery (The HistoryMakers A2003.185), interviewed by Larry Crowe, August 13, 2003, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 1, story 5, Joseph Lowery remembers his mother

3. Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery (The HistoryMakers A2003.185), interviewed by Larry Crowe, August 13, 2003, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 1, story 6, Joseph Lowery remembers his father's stories

4. Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery (The HistoryMakers A2003.185), interviewed by Larry Crowe, August 13, 2003, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 2, story 2, Joseph Lowery describes his childhood environs, Huntsville, Alabama

5. Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery (The HistoryMakers A2003.185), interviewed by Larry Crowe, August 13, 2003, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 2, story 3, Joseph Lowery shares memories from his school life

6. Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery (The HistoryMakers A2003.185), interviewed by Larry Crowe, August 13, 2003, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 2, story 5, Joseph Lowery recalls his years at Knoxville College, Knoxville, Tennessee

7. Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery (The HistoryMakers A2003.185), interviewed by Larry Crowe, August 13, 2003, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 2, story 6, Joseph Lowery recalls being called to the ministry

8. Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery (The HistoryMakers A2003.185), interviewed by Larry Crowe, August 13, 2003, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 2, story 4, Joseph Lowery discusses his early occupational options

9. Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery (The HistoryMakers A2003.185), interviewed by Larry Crowe, August 13, 2003, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 3, story 1, Joseph Lowery discusses his college transfer

10. Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery (The HistoryMakers A2003.185), interviewed by Larry Crowe, August 13, 2003, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 3, story 2, Joseph Lowery recalls his employment pursuits following college

11. Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery (The HistoryMakers A2003.185), interviewed by Larry Crowe, August 13, 2003, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 3, story 3, Joseph Lowery describes his Civil Rights efforts in Mobile, Alabama

12. Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery (The HistoryMakers A2003.185), interviewed by Larry Crowe, August 13, 2003, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 3, story 4, Joseph Lowery recalls the beginnings of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference

13. Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery (The HistoryMakers A2003.185), interviewed by Larry Crowe, August 13, 2003, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 3, story 6, Joseph Lowery discusses his Civil Rights participation in Birmingham, Alabama, early 1960s

14. Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery (The HistoryMakers A2003.185), interviewed by Larry Crowe, August 13, 2003, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 4, story 1, Joseph Lowery remembers the Selma to Montgomery civil rights march, 1965

15. Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery (The HistoryMakers A2003.185), interviewed by Larry Crowe, August 13, 2003, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 4, story 2, Joseph Lowery discusses past and present issues regarding voters' rights

16. Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery (The HistoryMakers A2003.185), interviewed by Larry Crowe, August 13, 2003, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 5, story 3, Joseph Lowery describes boycotts against South African companies during the apartheid era, late 1970s

17. Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery (The HistoryMakers A2003.185), interviewed by Larry Crowe, August 13, 2003, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 6, story 3, Joseph Lowery considers his legacy

Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery

Learning all about Dr. Reverend Joseph Lowery

A Man of Faith and Determination: Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery