Dr. Lowery’s inaugural benediction riffs on the blues
January 21, 2009 at 12:28 pm by Wyatt Williams in A&E, News
I’ll be the first to admit to being less than familiar with former Atlanta resident Dr. Joseph Lowery prior to yesterday’s stirring Inaugural benediction. By the time I started laughing through the tears he’d wrenched out of my otherwise cynical heart, though, I figured I should find out more.
A Civil Rights Movement veteran of the highest order, Dr. Lowery led the Selma to Montgomery march in 1965 on the request of Martin Luther King Jr., helped lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott after Rosa Parks’ arrest, and continued his involvement into the Free South Africa movement. He was among the first arrested in anti-apartheid demonstrations at the South African Embassy. Oh, and unlike that other Inaugural speaker Rick Warren, his notion of civil rights actually includes the LGBT community.
While Dr. Lowery’s closing remarks brought a lighthearted note to an otherwise somber ceremony, they also riff on a great song — Big Bill Broonzy’s country-blues classic “Black, Brown, and White.” Though Fox News is doing their best to stir up a controversy, I’m willing to bet they didn’t even get the reference.
(Photo by Joeff Davis)
January 21st, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Anybody catch Wolf Blitzer’s referencing the Birmingham Bus Boycott?
Of the eight or so people at the bar watching the parade, at least four of us gave an immediate “Huh?”
January 21st, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Dale, where did you watch the inauguration?
January 21st, 2009 at 1:06 pm
I just want to thank you for citing the Big Bill Broonzy reference. When I heard Rev. Lowry using it, I laughed out loud. It was good to hear humor in his benediction. I’m surprised that no other “news” outlets seem to get it. I’m just a white guy in s/w Wisconsin and I got it.
January 21st, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Met my wife at Montana Grille near the courthouse.