George Washington Williams, an esteemed African American historian, lawyer, journalist, and humanitarian activist, journeyed to the Congo Free State in 1890.
He was the first to expose the atrocities inflicted upon the Congolese people under Leopold's oppressive regime. His open letter, accessible on
blackpast.org, meticulously documented these egregious acts, notably coining the term "crimes against humanity."
This courageous activism spearheaded and galvanized an international Free Congo Movement, a struggle that persists to this day.