Press Release

American Federation of Teachers Mourns the Passing of Rev. Joseph Lowery

For Release:

Contact:

Oriana Korin
202-374-6103
okorin@aft.org

WASHINGTON—The officers of the American Federation of Teachers, President Randi Weingarten, Secretary-Treasurer Lorretta Johnson and Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus, issued the following statement:

“The death of the Rev. Joseph Lowery will leave an indelible hole in our fight for justice, equality, dignity and fairness for all people. He was a giant—in the civil rights movement; in the fight to make our public schools safe, welcoming and high-quality for every student, regardless of geography or demography; and in his advocacy for our LGBTQ family—and his voice in advocating for all those causes will be missed. We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing and vow to keep his work and legacy alive. May his memory be a blessing.”

# # # #

The AFT represents 1.7 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.