Evelyn Lowery, the wife of civil rights leader Joseph E. Lowery, suffered “irreversible damage” from a stroke on Wednesday, according to a statement released Saturday by her family.
“After many consultations with top medical experts, the Lowery family is saddened to learn that the stroke suffered by our beloved Evelyn has caused irreversible damage,” the statement read.
“As a family of faith, we remain by her side in constant prayer, knowing that God is in control, while also fully understanding her medical condition and that the team of experts have done all that they can do,” the statement continued. “Though she remains in critical condition, we are blessed that she is still with us.”
An activist in her own right, Lowery founded SCLC/W.O.M.E.N. (Women’s Organizational Movement for Equality Now) in 1979. The group focuses on AIDS prevention, historic documentation and preservation, health and welfare, and programs aimed at strengthening black families.
She and Rev. Lowery got married on April 5, 1948.
A prayer vigil was planned for 6 p.m. Saturday at Southern Christian Leadership Conference headquarters on Auburn Avenue.
Staff writer Ernie Suggs contributed to this article.
