Bay Area

Rev. Joseph Lowery, 98, Civil Rights Giant, Preacher

Published

4 years ago

April 2, 2020

Rev. Joseph Lowery was a civil rights giant. He was a Methodist preacher, a leader of the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, an organizer of the 1963 March on Washington and a close confidant of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

A fighter for human rights, voting rights and the rights of African Americans in a nation with 300 years of systematic racism against Blacks in its rear-view mirror, Rev. Lowery was often referred to as the “dean” of the American Civil Rights Movement.

“Black people need to understand that the right to vote was not a gift of our political system but came as a result of blood, sweat and tears,” Lowery said in 1985.

Joseph Lowery was born in Huntsville, Ala., in 1921 and his father owned a grocery store. After an incident in the store with a racist police officer, he decided to dedicate his life to civil rights work.

After graduating from college, Lowery became an ordained Methodist minister who served congregations in Alabama and Georgia. He later became a peace activist, joining the fight against segregation and organizing marches in Selma and Birmingham, Alabama. He served nearly half a century as a pastor, spending much of that time with Central United Methodist and Cascade United Methodist in Atlanta, Ga.

John George’s daughters flank Rev. Joseph Lowery and John George: At left is Angela George and at right is Pamela Y. George, when Lowery visited Oakland in 1985. Photo courtesy of Pamela Y. George.

In 1957, along with Dr. King, Lowery founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and led the organization from 1977 to 1997. Rev. Lowery’s life of leadership was unmatched by any living American other than perhaps Congressman John Lewis.

“A good man passes here. He will be missed. He contributed. He changed things. He’s been Promoted. Gone on, to a better place,” wrote businessman John Hope Bryant on social media after news of Lowery’s death.

“Rest in Power to Rev. Joseph Lowery. Saw him speak against the death penalty years ago. He said that the criminal justice system was still as racist as it was a century ago and for people in prison, we might as well still travel by horse instead of by car. Never forgot that,” wrote journalist Dave Zirin.

“Dr. Joseph Lowery, the dean of the Civil Rights Movement has passed. He was a mentor, pastor, and friend to me. The world is a better place because of him and I’m a better person because of his investment in me. May he Rest In Peace as he joins his wife & Dr. King on the other side,” wrote Rev. Al Sharpton.

Lowery delivered benediction at Pres. Barack Obama’s inauguration. On July 30, 2009, Obama awarded him the Medal of Freedom. Much like Congressman Lewis, there are not many awards and honors Lowery hasn’t received.

Lowery was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. His second wife, Evelyn, died in 2013. He is survived by five children

“Tonight, the great Reverend Joseph E. Lowery transitioned from Earth to eternity. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. He was a champion for civil rights, a challenger of injustice, a dear friend to the King family. Thank you, sir,” read a tweet from the King Center on the night of March 27.

Saskia Hatvany

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

5 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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Bay Area

State Controller Malia Cohen Keynote Speaker at S.F. Wealth Conference

California State Controller Malia Cohen delivered the keynote speech to over 50 business women at the Black Wealth Brunch held on March 28 at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center at 301 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco. The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

American Business Women’s Association Vice President Velma Landers, left, with California State Controller Malia Cohen (center), and ABWA President LaRonda Smith at the Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the ABWA at the Black Wealth Brunch.

By Carla Thomas

The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

“Our goal is to educate Black and Brown families in the masses about financial wellness, wealth building, and how to protect and preserve wealth,” said ABWA San Francisco Chapter President LaRonda Smith.

ABWA’s mission is to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support, and national recognition.

“This day is about recognizing influential women, hearing from an accomplished woman as our keynote speaker and allowing women to come together as powerful people,” said ABWA SF Chapter Vice President Velma Landers.

More than 60 attendees dined on the culinary delights of Chef Sharon Lee of The Spot catering, which included a full soul food brunch of skewered shrimp, chicken, blackened salmon, and mac and cheese.

Cohen discussed the many economic disparities women and people of color face. From pay equity to financial literacy, Cohen shared not only statistics, but was excited about a new solution in motion which entailed partnering with Californians for Financial Education.

“I want everyone to reach their full potential,” she said. “Just a few weeks ago in Sacramento, I partnered with an organization, Californians for Financial Education.

“We gathered 990 signatures and submitted it to the [California] Secretary of State to get an initiative on the ballot that guarantees personal finance courses for every public school kid in the state of California.

“Every California student deserves an equal opportunity to learn about filing taxes, interest rates, budgets, and understanding the impact of credit scores. The way we begin to do that is to teach it,” Cohen said.

By equipping students with information, Cohen hopes to close the financial wealth gap, and give everyone an opportunity to reach their full financial potential. “They have to first be equipped with the information and education is the key. Then all we need are opportunities to step into spaces and places of power.”

Cohen went on to share that in her own upbringing, she was not guided on financial principles that could jump start her finances. “Communities of color don’t have the same information and I don’t know about you, but I did not grow up listening to my parents discussing their assets, their investments, and diversifying their portfolio. This is the kind of nomenclature and language we are trying to introduce to our future generations so we can pivot from a life of poverty so we can pivot away and never return to poverty.”

Cohen urged audience members to pass the initiative on the November 2024 ballot.

“When we come together as women, uplift women, and support women, we all win. By networking and learning together, we can continue to build generational wealth,” said Landers. “Passing a powerful initiative will ensure the next generation of California students will be empowered to make more informed financial decisions, decisions that will last them a lifetime.”