One individual in particular was American minister and lawyer George Washington Williams who would be the first to speak out against inhumanity. Grover Williams would initially support Belgian control of the Congo and even attempted to recruit African Americans to work in the region. Williams' opinion would change when he witnessed first-hand the atrocities committed against the Congolese people. His stories were picked up by the international press and the term "crimes against humanity" will forever be synonymous with human inhumanity..