George Houser
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).
With James Farmer and Bernice Fisher, he co-founded the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in 1942 in Chicago. 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.