George Houser | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 2, 1916 Cleveland, Ohio, United States |
| Died | August 19, 2015 (aged 99) Santa Rosa, California, United States |
| Alma mater | Union Theological Seminary |
| Occupation(s) | Methodist minister, activist |
| Known for | Co-founder of Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) |
George Mills Houser (June 2, 1916 – August 19, 2015) was an American Methodist minister, civil rights activist, and activist for the independence of African nations. He served on the staff of the Fellowship of Reconciliation (1940s–1950s).[1]
With James Farmer and Bernice Fisher, he co-founded the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in 1942 in Chicago.[1][2][3][4][5] With Bayard Rustin, another FOR staffer, Houser co-led the Journey of Reconciliation, a form of nonviolent direct action, a two-week interracial bus journey challenging segregation. It was a model for the 1961 Freedom Rides that CORE and the Nashville Student Movement later organized through the Deep South.
- ^ a b Vesely-Flad, Ethan. "Today is George Houser's 99th birthday!". Fellowship of Reconciliation. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- ^ Fellowship magazine, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Spring, Summer and Winter 1992 issues.
- ^ "The Reminiscences of George Houser" (April 1999), Oral Histories, Oral History Collection, Columbia University
- ^ James Farmer, Lay Bare the Heart: An Autobiography of the Civil Rights Movement, A Plume Book, New American Library, 1985
- ^ Nishani, Frazier (2017). Harambee City : the Congress of Racial Equality in Cleveland and the rise of Black Power populism. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press. pp. 3–26. ISBN 9781610756013. OCLC 973832475.