What did the abbreviation CORE stand for in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement?

In the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, CORE stood for the Congress of Racial Equality.

CORE was founded in Chicago in 1942 by an interracial group influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolent resistance. James Farmer, George Houser, Bernice Fisher, and others helped establish the organization, which initially challenged racial segregation through sit-ins and other peaceful direct actions.

CORE became nationally prominent through the 1947 Journey of Reconciliation and the 1961 Freedom Rides. The Freedom Rides tested whether interstate bus travel and terminal facilities were actually desegregated after federal court rulings. CORE organized the initial rides, sending interracial groups through the South to challenge segregation.

A common mix-up is confusing CORE with the NAACP or SNCC. All three organizations worked for civil rights, but CORE was especially associated with interracial nonviolent direct action and the Freedom Rides. The organization’s name refers to racial equality, not voter registration alone.