George Houser facts for kids

George Mills Houser (born June 2, 1916 – died August 19, 2015) was an American Methodist minister. He was a very important civil rights activist. He also worked hard to help African nations become independent.

He helped start the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in 1942. This group worked for equal rights for all people. With Bayard Rustin, Houser led the Journey of Reconciliation. This was a bus trip in 1947 to challenge unfair rules that separated people by race (called segregation). This trip helped inspire the famous Freedom Rides later on.

Early Life and Education

George Houser was born in 1916. His parents were Methodist missionaries. When he was a child, he lived with his family in the Far East, especially in the Philippines.

He studied at the University of the Pacific. Then he went to the University of Denver. After that, he attended Union Theological Seminary. While there, he led the school's social action group.

In 1940, Houser and other students decided not to join the army. He was arrested for this and spent a year in jail. After college, Houser became a Methodist minister. He soon started working for social justice and civil rights.

Working for Civil Rights

Houser joined the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) in the 1940s. This group worked to educate people about civil rights. They also worked to end segregation, which was the unfair separation of people based on their race.

In 1942, Houser helped create the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in Chicago. He was the first leader of CORE. He worked with James Farmer and Bernice Fisher. Houser and other leaders were inspired by the ideas of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Gandhi taught about using nonviolent actions to make change. CORE decided to use these peaceful methods to fight for civil rights in America.

In 1947, the U.S. Supreme Court said that segregation on buses traveling between states was against the law. Houser then helped organize the Journey of Reconciliation. This trip sent black and white men on a bus journey through several southern states. They wanted to test the new ruling. This protest brought a lot of attention to CORE and the issue of segregation. In 1948, George Houser received an award for his work to end segregation on buses.

Fighting for African Independence

In the 1950s, Houser started focusing on African nations. Many of these countries were trying to become independent from colonial rule. Houser led the American Committee on Africa (ACOA) for many years. He spent decades in Africa, working to help countries gain freedom and end segregation.

In 1952, he helped start "Americans for South African Resistance" (AFSAR). This group supported the ANC in their fight against apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was a cruel system that separated people by race and gave white people more rights. AFSAR later became the American Committee on Africa (ACOA) in 1953.

In 1954, Houser visited Africa for the first time. In 1960, he urged President Dwight Eisenhower to speak out against South Africa's treatment of Africans. Because of his work against apartheid, Houser was not allowed to enter South Africa again until 1991. This was after the apartheid government ended.

Houser was the leader of ACOA from 1955 to 1981. He also led The Africa Fund. He started many campaigns to support African countries in their fight for freedom. He worked with leaders like Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo. From 1954 to 2015, he made over 30 trips to Africa.

Later Life and Family

George Houser was married to his wife, Jean. They raised four children together. His son, Steven, teaches history at Grand Valley State University. His grandson, Chris, taught at Scarsdale High School.

George Houser passed away on August 19, 2015. He was 99 years old and died in Santa Rosa, California.

Selected Works

• No One Can Stop The Rain: Glimpses of Africa's Liberation Struggle (1989)
• With Herbert Shore, I Will Go Singing: Walter Sisulu Speaks of his Life and the Struggle for Freedom in South Africa (2000).