Our Founder

Joseph Echols Lowery

Born in Huntsville, Alabama on October 6, 1921, the Reverend Doctor Joseph E. Lowery has been one of the nation’s strongest and most consistent advocates for racial justice, human rights, and world peace. In August, 2009, he received the nation’s highest civilian award the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. On January 20, 2009, he delivered the benediction at the inauguration of President Obama as the 44th President of the United States.

When Ebony Magazine named him one of the nation’s 15 greatest black preachers, they described him as “the consummate voice of biblical social relevancy, a focused prophetic voice, speaking truth to power”. In 1997, the NAACP presented him with one of its highest awards and called him the “Dean” of the civil rights movement. A number of other organizations have honored him for his effective leadership in the movement to empower African Americans as equal shareholders in American life, including the National Conference of Black Mayors; Boston University, with its initial Martin Luther King, Jr. Award; Wayne University with its initial Walter Reuther Humanitarian Award; the Progressive National Baptist Convention; The National Urban League; The United Auto Workers; The Southern Regional Council, and many others.

Dr. Lowery’s life of advocacy has spanned more than a half-century beginning when he headed the Alabama Civic Affairs Association, Mobile, Alabama, which spearheaded the movement to desegregate buses, other public accommodations, and the hiring of black police officers. In 1957, he joined with Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph David Abernathy, and other southern ministers to organize the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He served as vice president until 1967, then Chairman of the Board until February, 1977, and as President and CEO until January 15, 1998. In 1965, following the Selma to Montgomery March, Dr. King named him Chairman of the committee that took the “demands” of the march to then Alabama Governor George Wallace!

Dr. Lowery matriculated at Alabama A&M University, Knoxville College, Payne College & Theological Seminary and the Chicago Ecumenical Institute. He has received numerous honorary doctorates: Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Dillard University, Alabama State University, Central State University, Paine College, Beloit College, University of Alabama at Huntsville, Miles College, and others. He is married to Evelyn Gibson Lowery, who is the founder/chair or SCLC Women, and is the father of five children.

On his 80th birthday, (October 6, 2001) the City of Atlanta changed the name of Ashby Street (contiguous to Atlanta University Center) to Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard; Atlanta Public Schools established the Joseph E. Lowery Lecture Series on Civic Engagement; and Clark Atlanta University founded the Joseph E. Lowery Institute for Justice & Human Rights.