Bill Text: NY J03113 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Mourning the death of Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, revered civil rights icon, devoted family man and dedicated member of his community

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2020-05-27 - ADOPTED [J03113 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-J03113-Introduced.html

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Senate Resolution No. 3113

BY: Senator PARKER

        MOURNING  the  death  of  Dr.  Joseph  E.  Lowery,
        revered civil rights icon, devoted  family  man  and
        dedicated member of his community

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens whose lifework and civic endeavor served to enhance the quality
of life in their communities and the great State of New York; and

  WHEREAS,  With  feelings  of  deepest  regret, this Legislative Body
records the passing of Dr. Joseph E. Lowery, revered civil rights  icon,
devoted  family  man  and dedicated member of his community, who died on
Friday, March 27, 2020, at the age of 98; and

  WHEREAS, Joseph Lowery was born to Leroy and Dora Lowery on  October
6, 1921, in Huntsville, Alabama; his mother was a teacher and his father
owned a small business; and

  WHEREAS, Joseph E. Lowery, who graduated from William Hooper Council
High  School,  went  on  to  attend  Knoxville College and Alabama A & M
College, before graduating from Paine College; and

  WHEREAS, Believing ministry was his true calling, Joseph  E.  Lowery
attended   ministerial   training   at  Payne  Theological  Seminary  in
Wilberforce, Ohio; he then completed his Doctor of  Divinity  degree  at
the Chicago Ecumenical Institute; and

  WHEREAS,  Dr.  Joseph  E. Lowery would eventually become a pastor in
several churches, among them, the Warren Street United Methodist  Church
in  Mobile,  Alabama,  and  Central  United Methodist Church in Atlanta,
Georgia; and

  WHEREAS, By 1950, Dr. Joseph E. Lowery was  fully  involved  in  the
brewing  civil  rights  movement; two years later, along with Dr. Martin
Luther King, they founded the Southern Christian Leadership  Conference,
an organization devoted to human rights; and

  WHEREAS,  In  1965,  at  the  request of Dr. Martin Luther King, Dr.
Joseph E. Lowery participated in the  historical  march  from  Selma  to
Montgomery; and

  WHEREAS,  Dr.  Joseph E. Lowery's determination to continue to carry
the torch of the civil rights movement led him to the  founding  of  the
Black  Leadership  Forum,  an  organization  which  played a key role in
protesting apartheid in South Africa; and

  WHEREAS, In 1997, the National Association for  the  Advancement  of
Colored  People (NAACP) christened Dr. Joseph E. Lowery the "Dean of the
civil rights movement"; when he was 69 years-old, Ebony  magazine  named
him, One of the 15 Greatest Preachers; and

  WHEREAS,  This  esteemed  Reverend was known for his sense of humor,
captivating delivery, and fiery  skill  with  words,  all  of  which  he
demonstrated at President Barack Obama's inauguration; and


  WHEREAS, Predeceased by his wife, Evelyn (Gibson) Lowery, Dr. Joseph
E.    Lowery  is  survived  by  his  three daughters, Yvonne, Karen, and
Cheryl; and his two sons, Joseph Jr. and LeRoy III; and

  WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a  sense  of
compassion,  Dr. Joseph E. Lowery leaves behind a legacy which will long
endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all
he served and befriended; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
mourn  the  death  of  Dr.  Joseph E. Lowery, and to express its deepest
condolences to his family; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to the family of Dr. Joseph E. Lowery.