[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 134 (Wednesday, October 2, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1417]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     IN HONOR OF MRS. EVELYN LOWERY

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 2, 2013

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an 
extraordinary woman and respected civil rights leader, Mrs. Evelyn 
Lowery, wife of the Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery. Sadly, Mrs. Lowery 
passed away on Thursday, September 26, 2013. Her life was celebrated at 
a memorial service on Wednesday, October 2, 2013, at the International 
Chapel at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.
  Evelyn Gibson Lowery was born on February 16, 1925, to the Reverend 
and Mrs. Harry Gibson, who were activists in Memphis, Tennessee and 
inspired her to become involved in civil and human rights activism. 
While her father served as President of the local National Association 
for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), she saw the injustices 
of society and had committed herself to working to improve those 
conditions before she had even turned eighteen. She attended Clark 
College and Youngstown University.
  In 1950, she married the love of her life, the Reverend Dr. Joseph 
Lowery, and they built a life that was based on the love of God, the 
love of each other, the love of family and the love of people. They 
knew that the love of these could lead one to a close and fulfilling 
relationship with God because they are an embodiment of His greatest 
commandments: to love Him with all your ``heart, mind and soul'' and to 
``love thy neighbor as thyself.''
  Not only was she a pillar of strength with love and devotion for Rev. 
Lowery and his work with the Civil Rights Movement, but her leadership 
and support of women in the Movement reflected her personal commitment 
to gender equality as part of the larger Human Rights Movement. Mrs. 
Lowery founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference/Women's 
Organizational Movement for Equality Now, Inc. (SCLC/W.O.M.E.N.). 
Through the organization, she created the Drum Major for Justice Award, 
an annual award recognizing outstanding people who have made 
contributions to social justice. She led the establishment of monuments 
in various parts of Alabama to honor those who were instrumental in the 
Civil Rights Movement and in 1987, she created the Evelyn G. Lowery 
Civil Rights Heritage Tour. In addition, she spearheaded many education 
and awareness projects and programs, including the Women's Empowerment 
Training Center in 1988 for GED and computer training and the Bridging 
the Gap--Girls to Women mentoring program in 1995.
  Mrs. Lowery's life's work was founded upon her commitment to justice 
and equality, which inspired her work to empower women and to better 
the community in so many different ways. During her life, she touched 
and enriched the lives of countless people in her community and 
throughout our nation and her legacy will live on through the many who 
were inspired by her.
  Mrs. Lowery was more than a wife, she was more than a civil rights 
leader, she was a servant to all humankind. Nelson Henderson once said, 
``The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do 
not expect to sit.'' Mrs. Lowery never stopped planting trees so that 
those in need could sit and rest and then stand up stronger than 
before. To God be the glory for blessing the world with a woman the 
caliber of Mrs. Evelyn Gibson Lowery. We are all better because she 
traveled this way.
  Mr. Speaker, today I ask my colleagues to join me, my wife, Vivian, 
the nearly 700,000 people in Georgia's 2nd Congressional District, and 
all Americans, in paying tribute to Mrs. Evelyn Lowery and her 
exceptional life's work. We extend our deepest condolences to Dr. 
Joseph Lowery and the family during this time of bereavement. May they 
be consoled and comforted by their abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in 
the days, weeks and months ahead.

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