Black women celebrate Rev. Lowery’s life

Statement on death of Joseph Lowery by In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda Founder and President Marcela Howell

WASHINGTON — Amidst the still growing COCID-19 pandemic, the nation lost the “dean of the civil rights movement, Rev. Joseph Lowery. In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda Founder and President Marcela Howell issued the following statement:

“We send our deepest condolences to the family, friends and legions of people who mourn the death of Rev. Joseph Lowery. While we, too, mourn the passing of Rev. Lowery, we also take this moment to celebrate his life and to acknowledge his contributions to further the civil rights of all people.

“Rev. Lowery understood that women’s rights are civil rights and must be included in the fight for legal and social equality. He was a stalwart advocate for Black women’s rights and a strong ally in the dual fight against racism and sexism. Upon Rosa Park’s death, in remembering her iconic contributions, Rev. Lowery said that the ‘queen mother of civil rights has passed from Earth on to glory.’ So too, has Rev. Lowery passed. With his passing we remember his advice:

‘If you don’t know where you come from, it’s difficult to determine where you are. It’s even more difficult to plan where you are going.’

“In these trying days of the COVID-19 pandemic, his words are prophesy and should be followed by policymakers. We, at In Our Own Voice, promise to honor his life by always remembering our past and continuing to assess where we are, as we map our path forward toward equality and justice for all.”

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In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda is a national Reproductive Justice organization focused on lifting up the voices of Black women at the national and regional levels in our ongoing policy fight to secure Reproductive Justice for all women and girls. In Our Own Voice focuses on abortion rights and access, contraceptive equity, and comprehensive sex education as key policy issues. As a Reproductive Justice organization, we approach these issues from a human rights perspective, incorporating the intersections of race, gender, class, sexual orientation and gender identity with the situational impacts of economics, politics and culture that make up the lived experiences of Black women in America.