ATLANTA (April 3, 2020) – A private family burial for Dr. Joseph E. Lowery was held in Atlanta on Saturday, April 4. The “Dean of the Civil Rights Movement” was laid to rest on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, his dear friend and colleague in the movement, and on the eve of Palm Sunday, the great procession into the Holy City.
As a result of the revised guidance provided by Fulton County Public Health Officials and the implementation of a statewide shelter-in-place order for Georgia effective on April 3, the private service will be held for 10 family members only.
A public memorial will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, which would have been Dr. Lowery’s 99th birthday, with the hope and prayer that this pandemic will be behind us. This celebration will ensure friends and supporters from near and far can honor Dr. Lowery and his legacy, together as a community, in a manner that he so rightfully deserves.
“After much thought and consideration of options that would be compliant with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines on COVID-19 prevention and social distancing, we are unable to hold a service that can accommodate our dear community of support,” said Cheryl Lowery, President and CEO, of the Joseph & Evelyn Lowery Institute, and youngest daughter of the civil rights icons.
“Our father always encouraged everyone to act in service for the common good,” Lowery continued. “In these unprecedented times, the best way for each of us to do that, is to follow guidance from our public health and state officials to prevent community spread of coronavirus.”
