George Houser

Last night while at a farewell party for outgoing FOR Development Director Anita Fee, my wife Evelyn and I chatted with George Houser. I knew of him mainly as a leader both in the civil rights struggles of the ‘60’s and also in the addressing of contemporary African issues, though I am sure there are myriad other things he has done for peace and justice throughout the years. “I could learn so much from you,” I told him. “Are you giving any talks or leading any workshops these days?”

“Every now and then,” he said. “There’s an article in the local newspaper just today about a visit I made to one of the local schools.” You can see that article and an accompanying video HERE, an excerpt is below.

It's not often that I get to cross-post entries to my work blog (here) and my local politics blog (in Chapel Hill, NC), but I am thrilled to do so today!

On Monday night, local activist and historian Dr. Yonni Chapman, PhD petitioned the Chapel Hill Town Council to support the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP's effort to have a historical marker placed at the location of the former bus station that was visited by Bayard Rustin and others during the 1947 Journey of Reconciliation, which is now known as "the first freedom ride." What follows is an excerpt of his presentation (PDF). I recommend reading the proposal which has more context and details.

This is a really great story, and I am especially proud of the amount of support the riders saw from Rev. Charles Jones and other progressives in Chapel Hill, although it was in the face of some well-connected racists, from the bus driver to the judge, who made sure that Rustin and his supporters paid a price for challenging white privilege.

Today's New York Times featured a fabulous profile of long-time FOR leader George Houser. "Following a Kindly Light, and Casting One" by Peter Applebaum, appearing in his enjoyable "Our Town" Sunday column, highlighted a bit of the legacy of this extraordinary human who we are incredibly proud to call one of our own.