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Statement by Mark S. Allen, Chicago Chairman of National Black Wall Street Chicago "Sad note that Rev. Lewis Flowers made his transition yesterday at the age of 62. Rev. Flowers was along time grassroots activist and leader of The Westside Minsters Coalition. In addition to that I worked with Rev Flowers for more than 30 years, most recently with The Monroe Foundation's Community Reinvestment Organizers Project and we served together as Commissioners of the former Chicago School Board Nominating Commission, where Rev Flowers supported me as Vice-Chairman he was always a great local supporter of the local Black Wall Street Black economic empowerment movement.  A great champion for our people. I mean from the first Black Mayor to the first Black President you could find Rev. Flowers actively and systematically involved!!"

 

By Chinta Strausberg

 

 

Rev. Dr. Lewis Flowers, 62, former President of the Westside Ministers Coalition and chairman of the Board, passed last night at his home at 2:50 a.m. having recently been released from a hospital, Rev. Phalese Binion, president of the Westside Ministers Coalition, confirmed Sunday morning.

 

A Vietnam veteran, Dr. Flowers was pronounced dead at 2:50 a.m. at the West Suburban Hospital, according to his daughter, Blaire Flowers. Dr. Flowers had been in several hospitals prior to his death last night, Dr. Binion said.

 

The powerful Dr. Flowers, who served for more than three decades as the president of that Coalition, was known for his battles on social justice on the West Side of Chicago particularly in the Austin community where, as a spokesman for the Community Reinvestment Organizing Project (COP), demanded that Mayor Rahm Emanuel include Austin, which reportedly led in the number of foreclosures, be included in the mayor’s $15 million Foreclosure Recovery Program.

 

“The State of Illinois has lost a true icon,” said rev. Binion. “I just thank God he will now be able to rest but those of us who must go on and fill his shoes and pick up and carry on the work he has so tirelessly and restlessly fought for must go on. We have our work cut out for us, but we know we won’t let him down. We won’t let the people down and most of all we will not let God down. We will do it in a state of excellence and in Dr. Lewis’ memory,” Rev. Binion told this reporter.

 

Dr. Flowers leaves to mourn his wife, Cynthia, three sons,  Durand, Duwane and Elijah, two daughters, Lanita Joyner and Blaire Flowers, three brothers, Victor, Cornelius and Dennis, three sisters, Lorinda, Jocelyn and Aretha, nine grandchildren and one grand-child.

 

Funeral arrangements are pending.