Celebrating the Legacy of Joseph Echols and Evelyn Gibson Lowery – GLAM Center for Collaborative Teaching and Learning

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Celebrating the Legacy of Joseph Echols and Evelyn Gibson Lowery

The
Collection

In March of 2021, the Lowery Trust granted sole ownership of the Joseph Echols Lowery and Evelyn Gibson Lowery Collection of personal papers, sermons, speeches, correspondence, SCLC Women papers, and hundreds of historical photographs and audiovisual recordings to Morehouse College. The Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library was formally designated as custodian of the collection with responsibilities for housing and providing broad access for students, scholars, researchers, and the global community.

The collection received and highlighted in this digital exhibit is extensive. Encompassing more than 450 linear feet, and spanning the years of 1946 through 2014, the collection documents the lives and legacies of Dr. Joseph Lowery and Mrs. Evelyn Lowery in their struggle for justice and equality.

Dr. Joseph Echols Lowery and Evelyn Gibson Lowery honored with portrait on Renaissance Sunday at Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, Morehouse College.
April 24, 2011

Dr. Joseph Echols Lowery and Evelyn Gibson Lowery participating in SCLC protest.
Circa 1980

The
Collection

The Joseph Echols Lowery and Evelyn Gibson Lowery Collection contributes significantly to the rich archives of materials documenting the long struggle for civil and human rights.

The Collection, consisting of an estimated 400-linear feet, expands our understanding of the black freedom struggle by providing a close-up view of the remarkable lives and legacy of the Lowerys as they dedicated a lifetime to the struggle for justice and equality.

“The Bible speaks of faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love. And love is expressed in justice, and justice includes economic justice. Love is inclusive, and that’s why we need to move from civil rights to silver rights.”

— Joseph Echols Lowery

Joseph Echols Lowery was born in Huntsville, Alabama on October 6, 1921 to Dora and LeRoy Lowery; his mother was a teacher and his father owned small businesses. Growing up in the Jim Crow South, Lowery experienced racism first-hand as he faced violent confrontations with the Ku Klux Klan and local police. These experiences impacted Lowery at a young age and served as the basis for his growing social and political consciousness.

After graduating from high school, Lowery studied at Knoxville College and Alabama A & M University. He later earned a B.A. degree in 1943 from Payne University in Birmingham, Alabama. After receiving a degree from Payne Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Divinity degree from Chicago Ecumenical Institute, Lowery was ordained as a Methodist minister.

Joseph Echols
Lowery

Evelyn Lowery’s parents laid the foundation for her lifelong activism and commitment to social justice. Born in Wichita, Kansas on February 16, 1925, she was the daughter of Evelyn and Reverend Harry B. Gibson, a Methodist minister who later served as president of the Memphis chapter of the NAACP. Her mother was deeply involved in community organizations as well.

Following high school, Evelyn Gibson attended Youngstown University and graduated from Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University) in 1946 with a B. A. degree in secondary education. While in college, she pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and was the secretary to the Dean of Men.

Evelyn Gibson Lowery

Reverend Joseph Lowery and Evelyn Gibson married on May 5, 1948. The couple’s strong partnership led to collaboration and longstanding support for civil and human rights. Joseph Lowery is recognized as one of the major leaders of the Civil Rights Movement where he worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and others in challenging Jim Crow segregation and racial and economic injustice. Evelyn Gibson Lowery was an activist in her own right, creating a women’s organization, as well as joining her husband on the front lines of the major campaigns of the civil rights era.

The Lowery legacy includes: sons Joseph Lowery, II and LeRoy Lowery, III; daughters born to their union, Yvonne Kennedy, Karen Lowery, and Cheryl Lowery; and many grandchildren.

The Lowerys

Montgomery Bus Boycott

Reverend Lowery was among the organizers and supporters of the historic 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, following Rosa Park’s refusal to relinquish her seat to a white man on a local bus. Parks’ action resulted in mobilizing the city around what eventually became a 381-day boycott of the Montgomery Bus Lines. Women were pivotal to the boycott’s success, with the Women’s Political Council’s (WPC) strategic mobilization and organization of the local community. The Montgomery Boycott sparked many subsequent nonviolent challenges to racial segregation across the South including the founding of The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Joseph Echols Lowery was the founding vice president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) led by Martin Luther King Jr. The SCLC was established in 1957 to organize and coordinate the civil rights activism of local groups throughout the south. An organization consisting primarily of ministers such as Reverends Ralph Abernathy, Andrew Young, Fred Shuttlesworth and others, SCLC formed shortly after the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955.

SCLC was committed to the philosophy of nonviolence and the techniques and strategies of direct action and nonviolent resistance. The effective organizing work of SCLC helped to lay the foundation for sweeping black voter registration in the South and passage of landmark federal legislation: The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

Lowery served SCLC in many capacities including vice president, chairman of the board, and chief executive officer before succeeding King and Abernathy as the organization’s president in 1977 until 1997. Under Reverend Lowery’s presidency, over the next two decades, SCLC expanded and intensified its focus on voter registration and education, anti-violence initiatives, access to fair housing for low-income families, and other national and international programs.

"All along the way (riding and walking) we shall encourage voter registration, gather signatures to present to Senators, hold hearings on voting rights violations, and hold rallies for renewal of hope and movement."

SCLC’s Citizenship Education Program (CEP) played a central role in increasing the number of voters throughout the South. Established in 1958, citizenship schools taught adult literacy, civics and political education with the intent of instilling confidence in new voters and providing the knowledge required to pass the literacy test. Citizenship schools also cultivated local leaders, many of whom were women living in rural parts of the South. Among SCLC’s notable citizenship educators were Septima Clark, Dorothy Cotton and Rosa Parks.

Click on the video to hear Joseph Echols Lowery address the 25th SCLC Convention in Birmingham, Alabama (1982).

New York Times v. Sullivan

In 1960, along with Reverends Ralph David Abernathy, Fred Shuttlesworth and Solomon Seay, Reverend Lowery was among the group of southern, black ministers who were sued for libel by the Police Commissioner in Montgomery, Alabama. The suit resulted from an advertisement that was featured in the New York Times, listing the names of the ministers who supported Dr. King. At the time, the civil rights leader had been charged with felony for an alleged false reporting of income on his 1956 and 1958 Alabama tax returns. An all-white jury initially ordered that the ministers pay $500,000. Reverend Lowery’s car was seized and sold at public auction. Fortunately, the case went before the United States Supreme Court which overturned the libel verdict and, in 1964, rendered one of the nation’s landmark court decisions protecting the First Amendment.

Operation Breadbasket and the Movement North

In 1962, Operation Breadbasket was established in Atlanta to target discrimination in hiring and unjust treatment of African Americans by companies doing business in Black communities. Operation Breadbasket drew on the unified power of SCLC’s ministers to apply pressure to grocery store chains and other businesses in the soft drink and dairy industries to create jobs and invest in the communities from which they drew profits.

Operation Breadbasket SCLC

By 1966, Operation Breadbasket expanded to Chicago as part of SCLC’s focus on civil rights in the North. The Chicago Campaign included demonstrations and protests against segregation in housing, education, and employment.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others sing at the Chicago Freedom Festival to End Slums and Segregation.

Operation Breadbasket

The SCLC Operation Breadbasket Orchestra and Choir performed benefits for Martin Luther King Jr. and Operation/PUSH. Click Spotify player to listen to record in full. Be sure to press pause to stop music before continuing to navigate through exhibition.

The SCLC Operation Breadbasket Orchestra and Choir performed benefits for Martin Luther King Jr. and Operation/PUSH. Click the Spotify player to listen to the record in full. Be sure to press pause to stop the music before continuing to navigate through the exhibition

March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

Demonstrators gather in front of Washington Monument.
August 28, 1963

Clinton Brown attending March on Washington.
August 28, 1963

Demonstrators at the March on Washington.
August 28, 1963

In the largest demonstration for civil and human rights during its time, the 1963 March on Washington drew over 200,000 people to the nation’s capital. On August 28, 1963, a multi-racial, multi-ethnic gathering demonstrated at the Lincoln Memorial to pressure the administration of President John F. Kennedy for passage of a strong civil rights bill in Congress. The march, organized by Bayard Rustin, Anna Arnold Hedgeman, A. Phillip Randolph and others, brought together a diversity of organizations, including labor unions, civil rights groups, clergy, and a wide array of faith-based organizations. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the final speaker before the Morehouse College President Benjamin Elijah Mays delivered benediction. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is one of history’s greatest speeches.

“. . . like the river, we must keep on rolling. There’s nothing more important on our agenda today—if we deal with the essentials of political empowerment—than voter registration, voter education, and voter participation. Don’t let anybody fool you. It is important. It is significant. It is essential.”

— Joseph Echols Lowery

Selma to Montgomery March and the Long Struggle for Voting Rights

The 1960s voting rights campaign in Selma, Alabama resulted from years of organized resistance to police brutality and violent attempts to prevent African Americans from exercising the franchise across the South. The Selma to Montgomery March culminated three weeks and three events at the height of the Civil Rights Movement.

Selma March (Pettus Bridge Revisited)-Selma, AL, William Anderson, 1975

On “Bloody Sunday,” March 7, 1965, over 600 civil rights marchers attempted to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge heading towards Montgomery when state and local police attacked them with tear gas and forced them back to Selma. Two weeks later, on Sunday, March 21, over 3,000 demonstrators began a 5 day, 54-mile march from Selma to Montgomery, walking over twelve miles each day while camping out at night until they reached the state capitol.

SCLC members and other civil rights activists continue to commemorate the events of “Bloody Sunday” and the subsequent historic march year after year, demonstrating their steadfast commitment to voting rights for all.

Joseph Echols Lowery and Evelyn Gibson Lowery at a memorial march in Selma, Alabama on the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Following the successful march, Reverend Lowery led a delegation of march leaders and organizers who delivered demands to Governor George Wallace. The organized protests in Selma ultimately led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which was signed into law on August 6 by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Selma Poster, Voter Education Project (Southern Regional Council)circa 1960 Voter Education Project organizational records

After the Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed, Dr. Joseph and Evelyn Lowery and others, including John Lewis, Julian Bond, Hosea Williams, SCLC/W.O.M.E.N., the Voter Education Project, and many more continued working with leaders across the South to teach voter education and rally citizens to vote.

Double-click on the video to play or pause the video.

From Civil Rights to Human Rights

Growing opposition to America’s involvement in the Vietnam war climaxed by 1967, the year Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous speech, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” at the Riverside Church in New York City. Here, King spoke of the triple evils of racism, poverty, and war and how these interconnected evils threatened all of human existence if left unchecked.

Statement by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Clergy and Laymen Concerned about Vietnam

Poor People’s Campaign Schedule

In the fall of 1967, under the leadership of King and Lowery, SCLC launched the Poor Peoples Campaign to address economic inequality and the ever-widening gap between the haves and the have-nots. The Poor Peoples Campaign rallied thousands to protest in Washington, D. C. in demand of jobs, fair wages, and education for the nation’s poorest children and adults. This represented the next phase of the civil rights movement, extending the focus beyond the constitutional right to vote to address deep-seated structural inequalities
in society.

One of the goals of the campaign was to establish “Resurrection City,” an encampment on the National Mall where demonstrators would erect tents and take up residence. Following King’s death in 1968, SCLC President Ralph Abernathy, Reverend Bernard Lafayette, and other leaders decided to move forward with the plan.

No Matter What Your Religion or Philosophy

“There is something wrong with our leadership in government and in business if we can house entertainment but cannot house the homeless—if we can spend billions in facilities for entertainment, then additional millions for salaries… but cannot produce necessary resources for effective, efficient, affordable public transit. We clearly need to move to a higher mountain.”

— Joseph Echols Lowery

SCLC/Women's Organizational Movement for Equality Now, Inc.

Founded in Atlanta in 1979, SCLC/ Women’s Organizational Movement for Equality Now, Inc. (SCLC/W.O.M.E.N.) was the brainchild of Evelyn Gibson Lowery. At a time when civil rights organizations were led by men and women’s roles were marginalized, Evelyn Lowery envisioned and created an organization with women at the helm. SCLC/W.O.M.E.N. supported the initiatives of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference while also presenting greater opportunities for women’s leadership and empowerment. The organization focused on national and international issues, including educational programs for youth, women and families, voting rights, racial and economic justice, as well as a range of other issues.

sclc-women2

sclc-women

Evelyn G. Lowery: A Woman of Substance, brochure

Evelyn Lowery

SCLC/W.O.M.E.N., Inc
Social Initiatives

HIV/AIDS
Education

The Campaign to Free
Julia Wilder and
Maggie Bozeman

The Civil Rights
Heritage Tour

The Drum Major
for Justice Awards

Open

Anti-Apartheid Activism

Dr. Joseph Echols Lowery holding a sign, “Pass the Anti-Apartheid Bill! SCLC/WOMEN”
circa 1980

Dr. Joseph Echols Lowery and Evelyn Gibson Lowery at an SCLC protest
circa 1980

Correspondence from Joseph E. Lowery and Coretta Scott King
1990

Dr. Joseph Echols Lowery with Nelson Mandela

During the 1980s, SCLC/W.O.M.E.N. lent strong support to anti-apartheid boycotts of U.S. companies invested in South Africa. When it was discovered that the Winn-Dixie grocery store chain sold products from South Africa, SCLC/W.O.M.E.N. worked alongside Joseph Lowery and other SCLC members to organize steady, ongoing boycotts, sit-ins, and other nonviolent protests of the supermarket chain.

Double-click on the video to play or pause the video.

Presidential Medal of Freedom

Known as the “Dean of the Civil Rights Movement,” Lowery committed a lifetime to the struggle for justice and freedom. On January 20, 2009, Reverend Lowery delivered the benediction at the inauguration of Senator Barack Obama as the 44^th President of the United States.

On August 12, 2009, Lowery received the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom from the nation’s first African American President, the Honorable Barack Obama, for his longstanding legacy of activism and service.

Double-click on the video to play or pause the video.

The Legacy Continues

``Free Ride to Vote`` Lawn signs
circa 2000

Evelyn Lowery died on September 26, 2013 after suffering a stroke; she was 88-years old. Seven years later, Reverend Joseph Lowery passed away in his home at the age of 98. The Lowery legacy of activism and service lives on in the work of the The Joseph and Evelyn Lowery Institute for Justice & Human Rights. The Institute is a platform for community leaders and support for multigenerational leadership. It was established in October 2001, the same year the Atlanta City Council voted to rename Ashby Street to Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard, as recognition for his life’s devotion to civil rights and social change.

Double-click on the video to play or pause the video.

Acknowledgements

In acknowledgement of this historic collection and the development of the Celebrating the Legacy of Joseph Echols and Evelyn Gibson Lowery Virtual Exhibition, The Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library would like to thank the following institutions and individuals for their generous support, commitment to expanding scholarship, and building on the legacy of Dr. Joseph and Evelyn Lowery:

The Joseph and Evelyn Lowery Institute for Justice and Human Rights

Morehouse College

Clark Atlanta University

Cheryl Lowery, President and CEO of The Lowery Institute

Vicki Crawford, Ph.D., Director of the Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection

Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library

Loretta Parham, CEO and Director

The Celebrating the Legacy of Joseph Echols and Evelyn Gibson Lowery Virtual Exhibition Creative Team

Sarah Tanner, Assistant Director and Head of Archives Research Center

Curation: Martina Dodd, Program Director of Curation & Object Based Learning, AUC Woodruff Library

Web Development: Anandi Silva Knuppel

Script: Vicki Crawford, Ph.D., Morehouse College

Video production: Jenkins Video Associates, Inc.

Voice actor: Morris Baxter
WWW.AUCTR.EDU

The Collection

Dr. Joseph Echols Lowery and Evelyn Gibson Lowery honored with portrait on Renaissance Sunday at Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, Morehouse College.

Dr. Joseph Echols Lowery and Evelyn Gibson Lowery participating in SCLC protest.

The Collection

Montgomery Bus Boycott

Montgomery Bus Boycott

Rosa Parks

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

Southern Christian Leadership Conference

New York Times v. Sullivan

Operation Breadbasket and the Movement North

Operation Breadbasket and the Movement North

``On the Case The SCLC Operation Breadbasket Orchestra and Choir`` Vinyl Cover

``On the Case The SCLC Operation Breadbasket Orchestra and Choir`` Vinyl Cover

March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

Demonstrators gather in front of Washington Monument.

Clinton Brown attending March on Washington.

Demonstrators at the March on Washington.

Selma to Montgomery March and the Long Struggle for Voting Rights

Selma to Montgomery March and the Long Struggle for Voting Rights

From Civil Rights to Human Rights

From Civil Rights to Human Rights

SCLC/Women's Organizational Movement for Equality Now, Inc.

SCLC/Women's Organizational Movement for Equality Now, Inc.

SCLC/W.O.M.E.N., Inc Social Initiatives

SCLC/W.O.M.E.N., Inc Social Initiatives

Anti-Apartheid Activism

Anti-Apartheid Activism

Dr. Joseph Echols Lowery holding a sign, “Pass the Anti-Apartheid Bill! SCLC/WOMEN”

SCLC protesting Winn Dixie

SCLC protesting Winn Dixie

SCLC protesting Winn Dixie

SCLC protesting Winn Dixie

SCLC protesting Winn Dixie

Dr. Joseph Echols Lowery and Evelyn Gibson Lowery at an SCLC protest

Anti-Apartheid protest

Correspondence from Joseph E. Lowery and Coretta Scott King

Dr. Joseph Echols Lowery with Nelson Mandela

Presidential Medal of Freedom

Presidential Medal of Freedom

The Legacy Continues

The Legacy Continues

``Free Ride to Vote`` Lawn signs

Acknowledgements

The
Collection

The
Collection

SCLC/W.O.M.E.N., Inc
Social Initiatives

SCLC/W.O.M.E.N., Inc
Social Initiatives