RACIAL EQUALITY, CONGRESS OF

(CORE), American interracial voluntary organization established by James Farmer in 1942 to undertake direct-action projects to improve race relations and end discriminatory policies. Farmer had been working as the race-relations secretary for the Fellowship of Reconciliation but resigned over a dispute in policy; he founded CORE as a vehicle for the nonviolent approach to combating racial prejudice that was inspired by Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi. CORE members held a sit-in at a coffee shop in Chicago in 1942; it was one of the first of its kind in the United States. Other CORE projects have included voter registration drives in the South and actions to deal with a wide range of community issues in the North. One of CORE's most memorable projects was the sending of Freedom Riders through the South in May 1961 to test segregation laws and practices in interstate transportation. By the late 20th century, CORE had more than 70,000 members in more than 180 local groups. The organization maintains its headquarters in New York City.