Reverend from Obama’s Inauguration to deliver address at BBC

WHAT: FIU Biscayne Bay Campus’s Student Government Association Lecture Series presents Rev. Joseph Lowery. The civil rights leader recently delivered a nationally televised benediction at the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. The event is co-sponsored by BBC Campus Life and Orientation and the Office of Multicultural Programs and Services.

WHO: Rev. Joseph Lowery is a minister in the United Methodist Church and a strong vocal leader in the American Civil Rights movement. His genesis as a civil rights leader began in Mobile, Ala., almost a half-century ago where he led the desegregation of buses and other public accommodations.Born in Huntsville, Ala., Lowery earned his Doctorate of Divinity at Chicago Ecumenical Institute and made his mark as a civil rights activist shortly after. Lowery not only helped lead the Montgomery bus boycott, he founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. He also spoke at Coretta Scott King’s funeral where he received a standing ovation for his remarks.

With his hard work and dedication, Lowery has received numerous awards, including an NAACP award, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center Peace Award, and the National Urban League’s Whitney M. Young, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition, he has been included in Ebony’s 100 most influential Black Americans for several years. Although he is now retired, Lowery remains an active leader in the civil rights movement.

WHEN: Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009, at 2 p.m.

WHERE: Mary Ann Wolfe Theater, Biscayne Bay Campus, 3000 NE 151^st Street, North Miami.The event is free for students, faculty and staff. There is a suggested donation of $10 from the general public to benefit the BBC Excellence Fund.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: BBC Contact Campus Life and Orientation at 305-919-5804.