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Rev. Joseph Lowery, 'Dean' Of The Civil Rights Movement, Dies At 98

Lowery got his start as an activist organizing bus boycotts in 1950s Alabama. He led the Southern Christian Leadership Conference for two decades and prayed at Barack Obama's first inauguration.
Joseph Lowry, center, marches with Coretta Scott King, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Michael Dukakis, his wife Kitty and Mayor Andrew Young of Atlanta in 1988 during the 25th anniversary of Dr. King's march on Washington, DC.

The Reverend Joseph Lowery, co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, died Friday, according to a statement by the Joseph & Evelyn Lowery Institute for Justice and Human Rights. He was 98 years old.

The statement said Lowery died peacefully at home Friday night, surrounded by his daughters.

Known affectionately as the "Dean" of the Civil Rights Movement, Lowery was a part of pivotal moments in the nation's history – from early civil rights struggles to the inauguration of the country's first black president. Even in his 90s, Lowery's fervor never dimmed.

At an appearance on the national mall in 2013, at the.

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