Dr. Rev. Joseph E Lowery to give benediction here is a bit of Background on him

While Obama's choice of Rick Warren may have sparked controversy, his pick for the benediction could not have been more fitting of the occasion.
Joseph E. Lowery founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957 with Martin Luther King, Jr., and crusaded for civil rights and voting rights in the '50s and '60s. The longtime United Methodist minister is also an outspoken advocate of gay rights. Lowery admits to "a little culture shock" when it comes same-sex marriage, but is clear about his support:


"When you talk about the law discriminating, the law granting a privilege here, and a right here and denying it there, that's a civil rights issue," he explained in 2004, when stating his opposition to state-based initiatives to ban gay marriage and civil unions. "And I can't take that away from anybody."

Lowery was an early Obama supporter, at a time when other high-profile civil-rights players such as Andrew Young and Rep. John Lewis were backing Hillary Clinton. The Lowery and Obama met in 2007 at the the 42nd anniversary of the "Bloody Sunday" march in Selma. Lowery recounted their meeting to columnist Cynthia Tucker:


"He (Obama) showed genuine reverence for the past and a vision for the future....I decided, this guy is for real. I decided he was anointed."

Lowery defended Obama's decision to choose Warren for the invocation, saying, "Oh, I don't think it hurts. I think it'll pass....I think it'll pass even before the ceremony is over."



- Lili Ladaga