A WEB SERIES
BAYARD RUSTIN
AUTHOR &
CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST
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"People will never fight for your freedom if you have not given evidence that you are prepared to
fight for it yourself."
Born
Mar. 17
1912
Died
Aug. 24
1987
Portrayed By
Darien
Bernard
Episode
20
Bayard Rustin was an American leader for civil rights, socialism, nonviolence, and gay rights. After studying Gandhi's practices in India, he pushed for non-violent activism in the United States. Due to the criticism he received for being an openly gay man, Rustin did most of his work behind the scenes as an advisor to Civil Rights leaders, including his close personal friend, Martin Luther King Jr. He organized the first bus boycotts and the American Committee on Africa. He also focused on the economic problems of the working-class as well as improving labor unions. Rustin has written several publications including the "Speak Truth to Power: A Quaker Search for an Alternative to Violence," one of the most influential pacifist essays in America. In the 1980s, he became a public advocate on behalf of gay and lesbian causes.
Rustin with children during a period of civil unrest in El Salvador
Bayard Rustin speaking at a 1958 anti-war rally in London, England
Bayard Rustin speaking at the 1963 March on Washington
Bayard Rustin adopted his life partner, Walter Naegle, to extend legal protections to their relationship
Rustin at a protest in Washington, D.C.
President Barack Obama's speech about Bayard Rustin at the Medal of Honor Ceremony