Lowery cuts schedule during recovery

By Mashaun D. Simon

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A no-show by the Rev. Joseph Lowery on Saturday at an annual meeting of black leaders in Athens has caused some concern.

However, his wife, Evelyn, told the Associated Press that he is doing very well since his Feb. 13 release from Emory University Hospital Midtown, but he is not ready to take on speaking engagements. The civil rights icon's appearances have been canceled for a few weeks, the AP reported.

Lowery, 88, who spent two weeks in the hospital for a blood clot in his lung, has been a lifetime member of the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials since 1993, State Rep. Tyrone Brooks (D-Atlanta) told the AJC.

Brooks, who is president of GABEO, said Lowery has spoken at the annual conference just about every year for the past seven years.

But this year, officials had not expected him to appear.

“I said to myself after he was released from the hospital that we shouldn’t expect him,” he said. “But what concerns me is that I went by the house on Thursday and called him several times and have not yet received a return call.”

Brooks said Lowery is known to return calls quite regularly. The members of GABEO just want to make sure Lowery is all right, Brooks added.

“He’s paid his dues. He has done everything,” Brooks said. “He does not have to do another thing for us. His health is our number one concern now.”

The GABEO conference took place at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Athens over the weekend. According to the Athens Banner-Herald, the conference featured discussions on jobs, environmentalism, crime and the importance of counting everyone in the upcoming census.

During the closing worship service Sunday morning, Brooks urged others to “lift the family up in prayer.”

This week he plans to try to reach out to one of Lowery’s three daughters for information.

“When something happens to one of our giants, you get worried,” he said. “You get concerned."

--The Associated Press contributed to this report.