Interview with Tom Houck, September 28, 2009

Thomas Houck dropped out of high school at age 15 and joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to work under Hosea Williams. In 1965, he met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at a meeting of the SCLC, and in 1966 he came to Atlanta and became the King family’s personal driver. Later, he became an organizer for the SCLC, and was active in numerous demonstrations and marches. His case, Houck and Williams vs. Birmingham-Jefferson County, led to the desegregation of Southern jails. Houck went on to help campaign for various Atlanta mayors and governors, including Maynard Jackson and Zell Miller, and started doing commentary for WGST Radio. Houck discusses his work with the SCLC, some personal experiences with the King family, his work on various campaigns, and the state of party politics in Georgia.

2009-09-28

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