[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 149 (Thursday, October 6, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1793]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE REVEREND JOSEPH E. LOWERY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CEDRIC L. RICHMOND

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 6, 2011

  Mr. RICHMOND. Mr. Speaker, the Reverend Joseph E. Lowery, an 
irreplaceable organizer in the American Civil Rights Movement and a 
leader who marched with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to overturn 
discrimination in voting rights and other injustices, celebrates his 
90th birthday today. It is only right that I honor this man who made my 
ascension possible.
  Just 54 years ago, in a meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, Rev. 
Lowery helped form the Southern Christian Leadership Conference 
alongside Dr. King, Rev. Ralph Abernathy, and New Orleans' own Rev. Dr. 
Simmie Lee Harvey and Rev. Abraham Lincoln ``A. L.'' Davis--among other 
civil rights leaders. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference, 
known as the SCLC, was largely known for its non-violent protests. It 
was Rev. Lowery himself who organized the 1965 Selma to Montgomery 
March that eventually led to the passage of the historic Voting Rights 
Act. You'll remember that the Voting Rights Act finally guaranteed 
Black Americans the right to vote--free from intimidation, poll taxes, 
and other rules and laws designed to disenfranchise us. Rev. Lowery 
served as the president of the SCLC from 1977-1997 and revitalized it 
through his outspoken nature and distinct leadership style.
  Rev. Lowery continues to fight social injustice even today at the 
young age of 90. For his work, he's received numerous awards including 
the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor; 
the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Phoenix Award; the Martin 
Luther King Center Peace Award; the NAACP Lifetime Achievement Award; 
and the Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award from the Birmingham 
Civil Rights Institute. Rev. Lowery has also received several honorary 
doctorates from colleges and universities including, Dillard 
University, Morehouse College, Alabama State University, University of 
Alabama in Huntsville, and Emory University.
  While delivering the benediction at the 2009 presidential 
inauguration of President Obama, Rev. Lowery reminded us all ``that in 
the complex arena of human relationships, we should make choices on the 
side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion, not exclusion; and 
tolerance, not intolerance.'' It is evident that this principle has 
been a driving force in every area of Rev. Lowery's life for the last 
90 years. His unwavering dedication to equality for all people has made 
this country a better place for people of all races and ethnicities.
  As we celebrate the life of Rev. Lowery today, we must also pause to 
remember the legacy of another civil rights leader, Rev. Fred 
Shuttlesworth. Rev. Shuttlesworth died yesterday at the age of 89 after 
fighting for racial equality alongside Rev. Lowery for more than 50 
years. He was an American hero whose fight for civil rights is 
emblematic of the perseverance, compassion, and faith that make us 
American. He was a legend during the movement and time has only 
cemented his place in history as a champion of equality. He was beaten, 
threatened, and his family was attacked. Nonetheless, he never wavered 
from his commitment to American civil rights. My achievements have been 
possible because I stand on his shoulders, Rev. Lowery's shoulders, and 
those of other freedom fighters. Dr. King once referred to Rev. 
Shuttlesworth as ``one of the nation's most courageous freedom 
fighters.'' It is because of this courage that his legacy will live on 
for many generations to come.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in wishing Rev. Joseph 
Lowery a happy and blessed 90th birthday. As Rev. Lowery once wrote of 
Dr. King, ``To appropriately celebrate . . . we must honor both the man 
and the movement. To ennoble the man and ignore the movement is to do 
injustice to both. We must not let the spirit of the movement be 
overcome with sentimental ceremonies that omit the sacramental nature 
of the struggle. Ceremonies end with the benediction while sacraments 
begin with the benediction. Ceremony is like putting a ring on her 
finger at the wedding. Sacrament is ringing her life with love and joy 
ever after.''

                          ____________________