Evelyn Lowery, the wife of civil rights leader Joseph E. Lowery, was hospitalized late Wednesday after suffering from a stroke.

In a statement issued by the family, Evelyn Lowery is in critical condition and is currently under-going treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

“As a family of faith, the Lowerys remain in prayer for their mother’s recovery,” the statement read. “Rev. Lowery remains by his wife’s side and asks for the community’s continued prayers.”

An activist in her own right, Lowery founded of SCLC/W.O.M.E.N. (Women’s Organizational Movement for Equality Now) in 1979. The group focues on AIDS prevention, historic documentation and preservation, health and welfare, and programs aimed at strengthening black families.

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