Bayard Rustin

Bayard Rustin Today: Activist’s Legacy Celebrated in Netflix’s Rustin

The remarkable life and legacy of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin are brought to life in the new Netflix biopic Rustin, now streaming as of November 17. The film, produced by Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground, highlights Rustin’s pivotal role in organizing the historic 1963 March on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. Actor Colman Domingo stars as Rustin, with the Associated Press lauding his “layered, astute performance” and calling the film “as vibrant as the movement it covers.”

Who Was Bayard Rustin?

Bayard Rustin was a key figure in the American civil rights movement, known for his strategic planning and commitment to nonviolent resistance. After moving to New York in the 1930s, he became involved in pacifist groups and early civil rights efforts, eventually becoming a trusted advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the mid-1950s. Rustin’s organizational prowess, combined with his dedication to nonviolence, culminated in the creation and execution of the 1963 March on Washington alongside labor leader A. Philip Randolph. The event, one of the largest peaceful demonstrations in U.S. history, was instrumental in advancing landmark civil rights legislation.

Despite facing personal challenges, including multiple arrests for his civil disobedience and open homosexuality, Rustin remained committed to social justice causes until his death in 1987 at the age of 75.

Early Life and Education

Born on March 17, 1912, in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Bayard Taylor Rustin was raised by his grandparents, Julia and Janifer Rustin, believing they were his parents. It wasn’t until adolescence that Rustin discovered his true parentage—that the woman he knew as his sister, Florence, was actually his mother. Florence had Rustin with Archie Hopkins, a West Indian immigrant.

Rustin attended two historically Black colleges—Wilberforce University in Ohio and Cheyney State Teachers College (now Cheyney University) in Pennsylvania—before relocating to New York City in 1937. There, he continued his studies at the City College of New York. In his early years, Rustin briefly joined the Young Communist League in the 1930s but later left after becoming disillusioned with its direction.

Civil Rights Activism and Philosophy

Bayard Rustin’s personal philosophy was a fusion of pacifism, nonviolent resistance, and socialism. Drawing from the Quaker religion’s teachings, the nonviolent methods of Mahatma Gandhi, and the socialist ideas of labor leader A. Philip Randolph, Rustin dedicated his life to social justice. During World War II, he worked alongside Randolph to combat racial discrimination in war-related hiring. His involvement with pacifist groups, like the Fellowship of Reconciliation, grew after meeting A. J. Muste, a minister and labor organizer.

Rustin’s activism came at a personal cost. During World War II, he was imprisoned for two years for refusing to register for the draft, consistent with his pacifist beliefs. In 1947, after protesting segregation in public transit, he was arrested in North Carolina and sentenced to several weeks on a chain gang. In 1953, Rustin was jailed for 60 days after being charged with public homosexual activity, a significant issue at the time. Despite these challenges, he remained open about his sexuality and continued his activism. By the 1950s, Rustin had become a prominent organizer in human rights protests, including a significant anti-nuclear march in Aldermaston, England, in 1958.

Martin Luther King Jr. and the March on Washington

Rustin first met Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1950s, becoming a key strategist and organizer for King by 1955. He introduced King to Gandhi’s nonviolent resistance philosophy and helped guide the civil disobedience tactics used in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which began in 1955 after Rosa Parks’ arrest. Rustin, along with other prominent figures like Jo Ann Robinson and Ralph Abernathy, played a crucial role in the boycott’s success.

In 1957, Rustin helped establish the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), alongside King and other leaders. However, Rustin’s homosexuality caused tensions within the movement, leading some to pressure King to distance himself from Rustin. As a result, Rustin voluntarily stepped away from the SCLC, although he and King continued to work together informally. By 1963, they had resumed their close collaboration, this time in preparation for the historic March on Washington.

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, held on August 28, 1963, was largely Rustin’s vision. He, along with his mentor Randolph, organized the event, convincing King and other civil rights leaders to participate. Rustin played a pivotal yet understated role due to fears about how his sexuality might affect the movement. Nonetheless, his organizational skills were indispensable. Eleanor Holmes Norton, who assisted in the march’s planning, later remarked that Rustin was “the real general,” guiding every aspect of the event. The march attracted 250,000 attendees, surpassing expectations, and is widely regarded as a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement, laying the groundwork for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Later Career

In 1965, Rustin and Randolph co-founded the A. Philip Randolph Institute, a labor organization dedicated to promoting Black trade unionism. Rustin led the institute until 1979, continuing his work in both the civil rights and peace movements while becoming a sought-after public speaker. Throughout his career, Rustin received numerous awards and honors. His writings on civil rights were published in collections like Down the Line (1971) and Strategies for Freedom (1976). Rustin also championed economic equality and LGBTQ+ rights, expanding the scope of his activism.

Relationship with Walter Naegle

Though same-sex marriage was not legal in the U.S. during Rustin’s lifetime, he formed a significant relationship with activist Walter Naegle in the final decade of his life. Rustin and Naegle, who met in 1977, formalized their partnership through adoption in 1982 to gain legal recognition. Naegle later became the executor of Rustin’s estate and founded the Bayard Rustin Fund to preserve his legacy. He also contributed to the production of the 2003 documentary Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin.

Death and Legacy

Bayard Rustin died on August 24, 1987, from cardiac arrest due to a ruptured appendix at the age of 75. His death was widely mourned, with President Ronald Reagan calling him “a great leader in the struggle for civil rights.” In 1989, New York City honored Rustin with a plaque in Ralph Bunche Park. In 2013, President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Rustin the Presidential Medal of Freedom, recognizing his immense contributions to civil rights and human rights causes.

Rustin: A Biopic on an Overlooked Civil Rights Leader

Rustin, a biopic set to release in November 2023, chronicles the life and contributions of Bayard Rustin, a pivotal yet often overlooked figure in the Civil Rights Movement. Colman Domingo stars as Rustin, bringing to life the complexities and nuances of this remarkable individual. The film features notable performances from Chris Rock as civil rights activist Roy Wilkins and Aml Ameen as Martin Luther King Jr.

Directed by George C. Wolfe, the film delves into Rustin’s tireless efforts to organize the March on Washington in just six weeks during the summer of 1963. Wolfe’s own experiences during the Civil Rights Movement, including a childhood march alongside his grandmother in Kentucky with King, informed both his casting decisions and creative vision for the project.

Wolfe expressed his enthusiasm for sharing Rustin’s story, emphasizing the importance of recognizing individuals who have been marginalized in historical narratives. “This was a man whose ferocity and sense of justice and correctness seemed to be embedded in every fiber of his being,” Wolfe stated. “History… it forgot him. It, in point of fact, erased him.” The film aims to rectify this oversight, shining a spotlight on Rustin’s invaluable contributions to civil rights and social justice.