Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery Boyhood Home Site
(Dean of Civil Rights Movement)
Photographed By Tim Carr, May 24, 2008
1. Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lower Boyhood Home Site Marker - Side A
Side A
Dr. Joseph Echols Lowery was born in Huntsville on Oct 6, 1921, to Dora and Leroy Lowery. He grew up in Lakeside (Methodist) church. He began his education in Huntsville, spent his middle school years in Chicago, and returned to complete high school. He attended Alabama A&M University, Knoxville College, Payne College and Theological Seminary. He served as pastor of United Methodist churches in Mobile, Birmingham and Atlanta for 45 years, retiring from the pulpit in 1997. He received numerous honorary degrees, including the L.H.D. from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Ebony magazine twice named him as one of the Fifteen Greatest Black Preachers. His childhood home was located on this site on Church Street.
Side B
Dr. Lowery was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement for more than 40 years. He helped desegregate buses in Mobile in the early 1950's and spearheaded the hiring of Birmingham's first black police officers. He co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1957. In 1965, Lowery chaired the delegation to take demands of the Selma-to-Montgomery March to Gov. George Wallace. The "Bloody Sunday" attacks on marchers led to passage of the 1965 National Voting Rights Act. Lowery co-founded the Black Leadership Forum, a consortium of national
this page online
Erected 2006 by Alabama State Representative Laura Hall.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Churches & Religion • Civil Rights • Education. In addition, it is included in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1921.
Location. 34° 43.93′ N, 86° 35.363′ W. Marker is in Huntsville, Alabama, in Madison County. Marker is on Church Street Northwest, on the right when traveling north. Marker stands in front of Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 226 Church Street Northwest, Huntsville AL 35801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Church Street Community (within shouting distance of this marker); St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Original Site of Lakeside United Methodist Church (about 500 feet away); Saint Mary's Church of the Visitation (about 600 feet away);
Photographed By Tim Carr, May 24, 2008
2. Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery Boyhood Home Site Marker Side B
Also see . . . Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery delivering the benediction at the inaugration of President Barack Obama. (Submitted on March 1, 2010, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland.)
Photographed By Tim Carr, May 24, 2008
3. Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery Boyhood Home Site Marker in Front of Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Photographed By Lee Hattabaugh, March 26, 2010
4. Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery Boyhood Home Site Marker
looking North along Church St. Marker is on right under the tree.
Photographed By Lee Hattabaugh, March 26, 2010
5. Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery Boyhood Home Site Marker
photo of 226 Church Street and the marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on February 23, 2010, by Timothy Carr of Birmingham, Alabama. This page has been viewed 2,136 times since then and 48 times this year. Last updated on July 15, 2015, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 23, 2010, by Timothy Carr of Birmingham, Alabama. 4, 5. submitted on March 26, 2010, by Lee Hattabaugh of Capshaw, Alabama. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
