In this Aug. 12, 2009, file photo, President Barack Obama presents a 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom to the Rev. Joseph E. Lowery n the East Room of the the White House in Washington.

In this Aug. 12, 2009, file photo, President Barack Obama presents a 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom to the Rev. Joseph E. Lowery n the East Room of the the White House in Washington. / AP

The Rev. Joseph E. Lowery, a civil rights leader who helped the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, has died at 98.

A charismatic and fiery preacher with oratory skills on par with King, Lowery led the SCLC for two decades.

He remained an active force in social issues such as war and poverty long after his retirement.

Lowery was considered the dean of civil rights veterans and lived to celebrate a milestone that few of them thought they would ever witness — the election of an African American president.

President Barack Obama awarded Lowery the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

A family statement says Lowery died Friday.

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