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Joseph Lowery and the Resurrection of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference

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Joseph Lowery and the Resurrection of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University African-American Studies Theses Department of African-American Studies Spring 8-15-2012 Joseph Lowery and the Resurrection of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Deric A. Gilliard Mr. Georgia State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/aas_theses Recommended Citation Gilliard, Deric A. Mr., "Joseph Lowery and the Resurrection of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2012. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/aas_theses/16 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of African-American Studies at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in African-American Studies Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. JOSEPH LOWERY AND THE RESURRECTION OF THE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE by Deric A. Gilliard Under the Direction of Akinyele Umoja, Ph.D. ABSTRACT Joseph Echols Lowery, a key founding member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, led the organization for twenty years. This study explores how Lowery, who took over during an era when many considered the civil rights movement dead, reenergized the SCLC, became a leading black spokesman who challenged Congress, presidents and the Justice Department around issues of voting rights and social justice, while consistently questioning U.S. hegemonic international and domestic pol- icies around jobs and poverty. This research further investigates how Lowery fought for the continua- tion of affirmative action in the midst of an oftentimes hostile environment and waged campaigns against multi-national companies that discriminated against blacks and minorities. This qualitative em- powerment study examines how and why Lowery and the SCLC became the leading non-Muslim influ- ence on the 1995 Million Man March and his role in affirming women leaders and their initiatives INDEX WORDS: Hegemony, Affirmative Action, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Second Re- construction, Jim Crow, Social Justice, Nonviolence, Civil Rights, Black Power. JOSEPH LOWERY AND THE RESURRECTION OF THE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE by Deric A. Gilliard A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University 2012 Copyright by Deric Gilliard 2012 JOSEPH LOWERY AND THE RESURRECTION OF THE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE by Deric A. Gilliard Committee Chair: Akinyele Umoja, Ph.D. Committee: Audrea Dunham, Ph.D. Jacqueline Rouse, Ph.D. Electronic Version Approved: Office of Graduate Studies College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University May 2012 iv DEDICATION I dedicate this work first and foremost to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who has sus- tained and loved me through all my blunders and missteps. He is unquestionably my guiding light. Yet, in my human frailty, I have frequently turned my back on him, but he has never, ever, abandoned me. I also dedicate this work to my loving wife Catherine, who has suffered through more trails and struggles with me already than most endure in a lifetime. Yet, amazingly, she loves me madly, even after more than three decades of marriage. She is the major reason I have under- taken this work. No husband could possible ask for more. My four children, Adam, Dominique, Veronica and Jamal, are also major factors in my commitment to this work. For their entire lives, I‟ve preached to them that they were placed on this earth to make a difference and that in order to do that, they must be compelled to fully engaged the precious gifts that God has granted them. This work is another step in my life‟s journey to practice what I preach, which sadly, I have not always done. I also dedicate this work to the millions of nameless, faceless, unsung he- roes and „sheroes‟ who labored in obscurity, subjected themselves to untold marginalization, shut out of the mainstream, reduced to being “other.” And to the mothers, fathers, aunties and grand- parents who stayed on their knees, praying that one day their ancestors could live in an America that truly reflected its edict that all men are created equal. Finally, I dedicate this work to my father, Spencer Lee Gilliard, a true American hero who fought wars on two continents and was subjected to nuclear testing and constant discrimina- tion during a 30-year Army career. He raised two children as a single father, served as a pastor for twenty years, treasured his God and family fiercely, and taught me a love for this country that endures to this day. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I wish to acknowledge every professor I have had at GSU, from Drs. Jones and Akinyela , who in my first weeks made me wonder whether I could do graduate work, to Drs. Pressley and Davis, who pushed me beyond where I knew I could go as a scholar. I also thank Dr. Gayles, who revolutionized my perspective of black masculinity. My amazing committee, chaired by Dr. Umoja, stretched my to the ninth degree, chal- lenging me to improve this work more than I could conceive. Dr. Umoja, who recognized the value of where God has strategically placed me, affirmed my work and purpose from Day One and took on a special role as mentor to me. His belief in the worthiness of my research and vi- sion has been both priceless and humbling. Dr. Rouse, who gains little from working with me, insisted that I work harder to detach myself from my subject and strive for greater objectivity in my research, for which NOW I am deeply grateful. Although a member of the history depart- ment, she was the first to affirm my work, incorporating my first book into her curriculum well before I considered returning to school. Dr. Dunham, who I did not know very well before we began, brought a much needed and invaluable perspective to my research, even when I resisted. Pushing and prodding, they refused to let me give less than my best. Also Dr. Davis, who accu- rately promised us in the beginning of her research methods class that the department wasn‟t doing its job if we were consistently in a state of discomfort as grad students, was true to her word. She was also with me every step of the way as an advisor. I also acknowledge my son Dominique, who received his first degree from GSU‟s AAS program and has gone on to do profound things, for urging me to re-enter school. Finally, I thank my first and second year cohorts for patiently assisting their technologically-challenged elder, while setting a good example by enduring „til the end. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................... v 1 Chapter One: Introduction .................................................................................................... 3 1.1 Significance of Study .................................................................................................... 5 1.2 Chapter Synopsis .......................................................................................................... 8 1.3 Methodology .............................................................................................................. 12 1.4 Scope of Study ........................................................................................................... 13 2 Chapter Two: Background and Early Biography ................................................................. 15 3 Chapter Three: Literature Review ....................................................................................... 23 4 Chapter Four: Joseph Lowery and Domestic Affairs ........................................................... 36 4.1 Summary .................................................................................................................... 47 5 Chapter Five: Joseph Lowery and International Affairs ....................................................... 49 5.1 Summary .................................................................................................................... 58 6 Chapter Six: Voter Registration and Empowerment ............................................................ 60 6.1 Summary .................................................................................................................... 69 7 Chapter Seven: Million Man March .................................................................................... 71 7.1 Summary .................................................................................................................... 77 8 Chapter Eight: Affirmative Action and the Struggle on Behalf of “The Least of These” ...... 79 8.1 Black Seminole Freedom ............................................................................................ 86 8.2 Hunger ....................................................................................................................... 87 2 8.3 Summary .................................................................................................................... 88 9 Chapter Nine: Recognizing the Gifts of Women ................................................................. 90 9.1 HIV/AIDS .................................................................................................................. 96 9.2 Mentoring Program....................................................................................................
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