The Eyes of a Generation

A native North Carolinian, Lowery has lived in Miami for 35 years. He is an importer/exporter of goods such as grains, wheat, and beans and sells items like toilette paper and pineapples from a vacant gas station lot. He has three adult children with careers as an accountant, a corporate attorney, and an auditor. He graduated from the University of Western Missouri with a degree in Political Science. He also went to law school but did not finish, and if not for all that he wishes to accomplish, he would have long since returned.

Lowery has much to say about the communities, wealth, poverty, and education in Miami. "I have a lot of ideas about how to stimulate the economic growth in the poor communities and how to create jobs. I have an idea for a [clean energy] toilette paper factory in Liberty City that would provide jobs for hundreds." Unfortunately, "You have to have money in order to be listened to in Miami and because of that, the city's not about to listen to me." He added, "Oh, they hold their council meetings and play the part," but in the end, he sees no progress. "People in Miami are concerned with where their house is, or what model Bentley they drive, or how big their boat is, so it's no wonder so many neighborhoods in Miami suffer from poverty - the city just doesn't care…Miami's never gonna change." Yet he tries to make a difference every day.

"The reason I'm saying all this to you is so you can pass this message along and do something to try to make a change, too. You're a member of a younger generation, so you have to lead by example, because the eyes of the younger generations are on you - your generation - on all of us."