Humor and inspiration from civil rights grandfather

I'm sure I must have read about Rev. Joseph Lowrey in news reports or history books -- after all, I am the only one in class old enough to remember the civic rights movement personally, even though I was a child when the Selma marches were going on. But his role as co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and chair of the Selma-to-Montgomery March in 1965 was overshadowed by the other co-founder, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Still, I was looking forward to hearing someone who had such an important role in shaping civil rights in our country, who gave the benediction at President Obama's inauguration a year ago today, and who was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom last April. But despite these recognitions and many others, the Rev. Dr. Lowrey is still every bit a retired Methodist minister.

While he delivered a rousing, rhythmic, call-and-response message -- although the Pruis Hall audience had to be coaxed at first to be comfortable with responses like "Amen" and "Hallo" -- Rev. Lowrey also made us laugh. He was introduced by BSU President Gora after an amazing rendition of "There is No Way" by the Voices of Triumph Gospel Choir (the group ended the evening with an equally impressive "He's Able"). As he approached the lectern, the audience gave him a standing ovation and he remarked that it would be a good time to take up a collection while everyone was "in a good mood."

When talking about President Obama's request that he speak at the inauguration, Rev. Lowrey said the then-president-elect left a voicemail on his cell phone. "You cannot have the number," he told the audience. He said when the President asked him to join him on the dais for his swearing in, "I said, 'Let me check my calendar. I believe I can work that in.'" 

Lowrey's humor sometimes had a bite to it, as in when he said, "I'm neither Republican or Democrat. I am Methodist" and then added, "I have a problem with both parties. One of them takes us for granted and the other just takes us."

Whether he was sharing a snippet of civil rights history or calling for today's generations to "tear away the veneer of complexion" and see that we are all the same, Rev. Lowrey was a careful orator. His use of vivid language, organization (especially presenting ideas in a series of triplets), and voice modulation reminded me of a rhetorical analysis that I read last year by C.L. Hatch in which the scholar analyzed representations of the black folk sermon. Yes, even sermons can be analyzed rhetorically. Hatch looked specifically at the work of C.L. Franklin, a legendary preacher and father of Aretha Franklin. He noted the complex use of language, syncopation, and metaphor in creating a message that was both biblical and contemporary. Lowrey was able to accomplish something similar using the language of MLK's letter from Birmingham jail, which pulls examples from the Bible.

Ultimately, Lowrey's message was that civil rights cannot rest on ceremony -- as in a one-day observance of MLK -- but must "lived in sacrament" by not just honoring the man but also the vision.

Afterward, I met Rev. Lowrey in the Pruis foyer, where he showed me the lapel pin that is a replica of the Presidential Medal of Freedom that he was given last year. "That's on a ribbon that goes around my neck," he explained. "It doesn't look as good with a suit."