Evelyn Lowery, wife of Civil Rights activist Joseph Lowery, passed away due to a stroke.
She was 88.
Lowery was the daughter of activists. Her father, a Methodist preacher, was the president of the Memphis chapter of the NAACP and her mother was actively involved in community organizing. She inherited her parents activist spirit and participated in the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965. In 1979 she founded the SCLC/WOMEN–Women’s Organizational Movement for Equality Now–an organization that was created to “champion the rights of women, children and families, and respond to the problems of the disenfranchised regardless of ethnicity, gender, age, or religion.” This organization gave a voice to women during the Civil Rights Movement and Lowery formed alliances with other women’s organization to fulfill SCLC/WOMEN’s goals. She also created the “Drum Major for Justice” award named in memory of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and is awarded to those who contribute to the cause of freedom, equality, and achievement in their professional field.
Lowery was a woman of substance in her civic and social justice involvement on top of being a wife and a mother to three children. She is survived by her husband Joseph Lowery, three daughters, a sister, and a grandchild.
The Urban Ministries family sends their condolences to the Lowery family during this difficult time.
Tonya Lewis Lee has accomplished a lot over the years, but her latest project may be one of her most rewarding experiences yet. Not only is she a mother, attorney, writer, producer, and founder of the women’s health website Healthy You Now, but Lee is also the wife of award-winning producer, director, and social activist Spike Lee.
Urban Faith recently sat down with Lee to discuss her family, marriage, career, and her first made-for-TV film, The Watsons Go to Birmingham, premiering on the Hallmark Channel on September 20th at 8/7 CT. The film is about a family from Michigan that travels to Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963. There, they witness the social injustice of the South during the Civil Rights Movement, including the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing that killed four girls. Check out what Lee had to say about life and her upcoming film:
How do you balance it all, with raising 2 teens, a marriage, your career and social life? I was just telling someone the other day that I have issues striking balance right now. I believe that we all can have it all, but we can’t have it all at the same time. For me, with my career, the work that I’ve been doing while raising my children and with a husband who travels a lot and does his own thing, I was able to continue to work in a way that made sense for my children and their schedule. I was OK with that and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. So, how do I balance it all? I don’t know! Some days, I don’t get to the gym, but on the days that I can, I go as much as I can. Some days work suffers because I’ve got to do stuff with my son, but the work is still there so I’ll get to it.
Congratulations on making your marriage work for 20 years! With such a busy schedule, how do you and your husband manage to maintain a strong relationship? My husband always jokes, “[The secret] is not talking about it.” That’s our secret. We just don’t talk about it. But seriously, it’s a lot of work. I think you have to be flexible, and people have to go into marriage knowing that it’s not a fairy tale. It’s compromise, patience, and being committed. In a way, if you just keep staying [married], the years just keep flying by. It’s amazing how fast time goes! Honestly for us, our children are really the heart of our family, so it really comes down to what’s going to be best for them. And for us and our situation? Us being together and working it out is what’s best. You have good times, and you have rough times, but you just work through it all.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham, from left to right: David Alan Grier, Anika Noni Rose, Skai Jackson (front), Harrison Knight, Bryce Clyde Jenkins, Wood Harris
What inspired you to produce The Watsons Go to Birmingham? Well, first I read the book with my kids when they were younger, and it was a fun read. It also provided an opportunity for [my kids and I] to talk about our history. But we also really did have a great time just reading the book. I’m also someone who really loves the idea of trying to make history interesting and relevant to young people. I think it’s so important that we know where we’ve come from and to understand where we are and where we’re going. So I felt that The Watsons was a great opportunity to, first of all, just show an African American family loving one another. I love the parents in the story who are really parenting their children. They’re struggling with their older son, but they’re not giving up on him. I love the family dynamics! When I initially thought about turning the book into film, it was really more about the family dynamics than the history.
You have already accomplished so much during your career. Why have you decided to produce The Watsons Go to Birmingham now? Well, it really was a 9-year process, but I always say that [the film] came when it was meant to be.
There are so many films that have been produced based on this particular time in history. How did you choose to tell this particular story through film? I look at The Watsons as a vehicle that is really targeted towards children and families. You’re right, there’s a lot of stuff out there on civil rights, but I don’t think that there’s a lot out there on civil rights that speaks to children specifically. The Watsons is told through the eyes of a 12-year-old boy and his experience in dealing with the Civil Rights Movement, segregation, and the bombing. It’s about families sitting together, watching The Watsons, seeing their family in that, and then having an opportunity to have a real conversation with their young children about the Civil Rights Movement and what it means.
How has Hollywood changed in the past 20 years in addressing major topics in African American History such as the Civil Rights Movement? Right now we’re living in an interesting moment. We’ve got Django [Unchained], The Butler, and then you have 12 Years a Slave that’s coming out in the fall, and we’ve had The Help and Red Tails, so it’s been interesting. I think there’s definitely been some interest in those stories and that’s wonderful. Now of course, everyone has their own way of telling them, and I might not agree with all of it, but I’m happy to see that at least Hollywood is paying attention and interested in doing those stories. It’s all really about really showing the humanity of who we are, and if Hollywood is interested right now in telling the story about how people have gone through struggle and they’ve come out on the other side and it’s OK, I think it’s great.
As someone who is passionate about working with children, how do think Hollywood is doing in really connecting with the African American youth? We really need major work. Honestly, that is something that is very disturbing to me. There are not enough images of children of color featured in any sort of leading role in Hollywood, and it’s really a disgrace. All of us, Black and White, are affected by the images that we see out there, and [African Americans] do not see ourselves represented. We need that! Our kids need that. We need to see images of Black children just being kids, just a regular kid doing regular stuff.
Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? Wow, in 10 years I see myself busy with my films, writing and producing. I also see Healthy You Now. I’m not exactly sure where it will be, but I certainly see it transitioning into something else. I just see myself busy working. The truth of the matter is, I want to be working until I’m 95 years old. I don’t want to stop, and I don’t know why it would stop.
Go behind the scenes with The Watsons Go to Birmingham cast:
Tyler Perry laying hands on Bishop TD Jakes at the Potter’s House (Photo Credit: @BishopJakes)
Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past 48 hours, you’ve probably seen the video of Tyler Perry laying hands on T.D. Jakes. During a service at Jakes’ Potter’s House Church, Perry stood before the congregation and announced a $1 million donation to a youth center the church is developing. But, before he took his seat, he gave a sermonette about favor, the blood of Jesus, the necessity of haters in our lives, and moving when God speaks. He even spoke in tongues. But the thing that topped everything off was Perry’s prayer for Bishop Jakes which culminated in him laying hands on the popular pastor.
As usual, in cases of laying hands, many are interested in the authenticity of the act. Comments on social media ranged from, “Wow” to “I would jerk like that too if I had just received a check for $1 million and someone had smacked me on the head.” Indeed it is hard to judge, but we’re not so sure that is what we have to or should judge at this morning. What is most interesting about this video is not the laying on of hands but everything that leads up to it.
1. Perry mentions being at the Woman Thou Art Loosed session with Rev. White— assuming this is Paula White—who asked all who could to give a $113 offering in consideration of Psalm 113. Psalm 113 says,
1 Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord;
praise the name of the Lord.
2 Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time on and for evermore.
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
4 The Lord is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
6 who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust,
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9 He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
Are you confused as to what this has to do with a $113 offering? Are we supposed to infer that this text is telling us to give a monetary offering when really one of the most obvious things that the text suggests is to give praise to God? David, the author of this Psalm, is encouraging people to praise God for whom God is and how God is present in the world. There is nothing in this text that points to monetary or even burnt offerings—which some like to interchange with monetary offerings for the sake of giving. This isn’t even one of the oft erroneously quoted scriptures about giving.
2. It appears that Bishop Jakes randomly brought Perry up to the stage to announce that he donated $1 million. Perry expresses as much surprise at being brought up to make many believe that this was unplanned, or was it? Was this all in the works once Jakes saw the amount of the check? Would he have brought Perry up if there wasn’t a check? Or, in less cynical pondering, did Bishop Jakes bring Perry up in order to show the masses a live example of how “You Can’t Beat God’s Giving?”
How can you not like the philanthropic Perry donating $1 million to a youth center? If anyone needs a donation in our culture, it’s the youth. With recent stories such as the 1-year-old baby who was shot dead in Brooklyn, NY and the young, black teenager who was just tried and convicted for shooting an infant point-blank in Brunswick, Georgia, this youth center could provide a positive alternative for youth. Alternatives that could result in troubled youth leading productive lives, rather than becoming a part of the system. Yet there is reason to be torn about Jakes and Perry’s display…
While most will attack Jakes and Perry for their lavish lifestyles, we should be more concerned about the perception that some in church culture have created. The idea that blessings are tied to our giving has caused some to distort the intended meaning. We don’t give to be blessed, we give because we are blessed. Sadly, many who watch the clip might think that blessing is somehow attached to how much you give. “If I only had a million to give,” is what some might think. But they should know, it’s ok if you don’t. Really, it is. Perry affirm this when he said, “My mother, she didn’t have much to give me. She didn’t have million of dollars, she didn’t have some legacy, but she had Jesus. And she taught me about that God.” Perry’s message conveyed that Jesus is enough.
All Christians aren’t called to be rich–though most Christians in the Western hemisphere are rich when we consider global poverty. Not all Christians are going to make seven figures—and maybe not even six-figures. The “dollar increment” call that went out during the live service at the Potter’s House (i.e. “Those who want to give $1,000”) started with the call to give $1 million. Imagine how inadequate some folks felt when there was only one (or maybe a few) people who could make such a sizable donation.
3. And what about this issue of Perry announcing how much he donated? Consider the woman from Luke’s Gospel. Jesus looked and saw the rich putting their gifts in the offering box. But he wasn’t moved. It was a poor widow who provided a teaching moment for the rich. Jesus states that the rich folks gave out of their abundance, but she gave all that she had. So it’s not really the amount you give that matters, but the heart behind your giving. Oh yeah, and there’s that whole giving in secret thing Jesus talked about.
“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:2–4)
4. What about those who would argue from the Psalm, “Touch not my anointed one?”
Some torn Christians weren’t so sure what to make of what happened in the video. One comment characterized this group,
“The Bible tells us not to touch God’s anointed but it also says to try the spirit by the spirit. What gives?”
Well, the infamous “touch not” passage has been used by ministries for decades to allow leaders to deflect accountability and it challenges us not to question the actions of leaders in the church. But is that what the passage really is talking about? Or has the passage been appropriated by those who want to instill fear in members of the church? The idea is that if you talk about a man or woman of God, then God will get you–supposedly God is waiting to strike down people who talk about pastors and preachers. But you have to wonder if people have really read the passage from Psalms that talks about not touching God’s anointed. David (the author) was actually talking about his experience with Saul (a king and not a pastor or leader in the church). And he was talking about the physical harm he had a chance to inflict on Saul when he had him in a vulnerable position. The idea that we aren’t to speak up against men and women of God who are anointed isn’t scriptural. In fact, Paul “touched God’s anointed” in Peter when he openly rebuked him for hypocritical behavior.
It’s almost too easy to critique the authenticity of a religious experience such as the laying on of hands and because of that we pray the experience at Potter’s House was authentic. Yet there were a few things there that should at least give us the opportunity to, like the Bereans, search the Scriptures and see if what was said and done was true. At the very least, we pray that this has caused us all to consider the unassuming act of that widow in Luke’s Gospel. It reminds us all that prosperity isn’t something to aspire to or something to be grasped. Jesus, truly is enough. You might not ever stand on anyone’s stage and give $1 million. And that’s okay. Sometimes, all it takes is the clink of two coins to get Jesus’ attention.
WASHINGTON (RNS) Noah’s grandfather Methuselah lived to the ripe old age of 969 and Moses reached 120, but most Americans would be happy to make it into their 90s, according to a new study.
Black Protestants and Hispanic Catholics are the most likely religious groups to say “radical life extension” — living to age 120 or more — would be good for society, according to a new Pew Research Center study, “Living to 120 and Beyond,” released Tuesday (Aug. 6).
The speculative “Living to 120 and Beyond” survey comes against the backdrop of U.S. Census Bureau projections that suggest by 2050, one in five Americans will be 65 or older, and more than 400,000 will be 100 or older.
Researchers found that four in 10 Americans, including 54 percent of black Protestants and 44 percent of Hispanic Catholics, say radical life extension would be “good for society.” Among religious groups, white Catholics showed the least support, at 31 percent.
The findings dovetail with previous studies that showed correlations between race and a desire to prolong life, including research suggesting black and Hispanic cancer patients were more likely than whites to seek aggressive end-of-life care and consider religion very important.
Asked how long they’d like to live, African-Americans scored highest in the Pew report, with a median age of 94, compared to a median age of 90 among all Americans.
Included with the Pew study was a compilation of religious leaders’ views about radical life extension, though no religious group in the United States has released an official statement regarding life-extending treatments.
The Rev. Charles Brown, a Payne Theological Seminary ethics professor and former Baptist pastor, told researchers: “I think we would embrace it because we welcome the blessings of a longer life so that we can make more of a contribution to society.”
Asked why blacks might be more in favor of life-extending treatments than others, Brown said, “We have gone from a sense of impossibility in the 20th century to one of possibility in the 21st, and I think we want as much chance as we can to participate in these new possibilities.”
Researchers quoted retired Pope Benedict XVI from 2010 to help explain white Catholics’ low approval rating of life-prolonging treatments: “Humanity would become extraordinarily old, (and) there would be no more room for youth. Capacity for innovation would die, and endless life would be no paradise.”
The frequency of a person’s worship attendance had little bearing on views of radical life extension. However, people who believe in life after death were more likely (43 percent) to say treatments that extend life would be a good thing than those who don’t believe in an afterlife (37 percent).
When it comes to personal desire for life extension, white evangelicals were least likely to want treatments (28 percent). Similarly low numbers of white Catholics (35 percent) and white mainline Protestants (37 percent) said they would want treatments to extend “life by decades.”
Black Protestants were split, at 47 percent, on whether they would want such treatments. Hispanic Catholics were similarly divided, with 46 percent wanting the treatments and 47 percent not wanting them.
The Pew survey was based on phone interviews conducted from March 21-April 8 among 2,012 U.S. adults and had an overall margin of error plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.
Copyright 2013 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be distributed or reproduced without written permission.
SEWANEE, Tenn. (RNS) After passing through the Gothic campus of Sewanee: The University of the South, we came to an enormous cross looking down on a nearby valley.
The vista reminded me of Gettysburg, so I asked my host, “Did Sewanee play a part in the war?”
He knew exactly which war I meant — the Civil War that is never far from the thoughts of Southerners even 150 years later — and he said, “Oh yes.”
It seems the school was founded in 1857 by Episcopal bishops from states that later would form the Confederacy, specifically to “resist and repel a fanatical domination which seeks to rule over us.”
A leading slave trader named John Armfield bankrolled the venture. One founding bishop became a general in the Confederate Army. When Union troops destroyed campus buildings in 1863, loyalists collected fragments and placed them in the wall of the university’s post-war chapel.
But that was yesterday. Also yesterday was the university’s utter dominance of late 19th-century college football, as well as its attempt to be the “Oxford of the South,” offering a full array of graduate schools.
As times changed, Sewanee adapted. It dropped out of the Southeastern Conference to focus on academics, and later scaled back its operations to a college, a writing program and an Episcopal seminary, all highly regarded.
When the university’s head refused to desegregate the seminary in the 1950s, seminarians and half the faculty walked out. When a 1960s segregationist diehard donated a mace in honor of the man who founded the Ku Klux Klan, the mace eventually disappeared.
These dramas of adaptation on “the Domain,” as they call Sewanee’s 13,000 acres of mountaintop land, mirror dramas far beyond Tennessee.
Adaptation is how a bitter and broken South survived its own worst instincts after the war. Progressive pockets emerged in college towns and later in large cities. Hungry for Northern business, the region became less racially polarized. In time, a black man could become mayor of Atlanta and another could become the Episcopal bishop of North Carolina.
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of 50 years ago came to seem possible. Distant, yet possible.
But now the dream has receded. The fact of a black president seems to have reopened a pulsing vein of racism. Operating under cover of fiscal austerity, vengeful state politicians are gutting decades of programs that helped the South move forward by helping blacks and Latinos to have a chance.
No more affirmative action, they say; no more dark-skinned citizens flocking to voting stations; no more voting districts shaped by fairness; no more protections from ground-level aggression against people of color.
Once again, as happened in the 19th century, impoverished whites who should be lining up to resist predatory behavior by the moneyed class are being turned against their own best interests by race politics.
Now we have to ask whether Detroit was allowed to go bankrupt because its population is 80 percent black.
Does the military get parades but low pay and inadequate equipment because front-line troops tend to have deeper pigmentation?
Have public schools been thrown under the bus because urban school districts tend to serve blacks and dark-skinned immigrants?
Are ideological outcries against entitlements targeting all entitlements, or just those that benefit people of color?
Decades of racial tolerance have threatened whites to the point of backlash. Young right-wing politicians who are unschooled in tolerance and adaptation leap to stoke that backlash.
Difficult times are at hand.
(Tom Ehrich is a writer, church consultant and Episcopal priest based in New York. He is the author of “Just Wondering, Jesus” and founder of the Church Wellness Project. His website is www.morningwalkmedia.com. Follow Tom on Twitter @tomehrich.)
Copyright 2013 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be distributed or reproduced without written permission.
