Bayard Rustin
March 17, 1912 – August 24, 1987
Bayard Rustin was a prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States known for his tireless advocacy for social justice and civil rights. He was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania where learned the Quaker values of peace and nonviolence from his grandparents. As a teenager, Rustin wrote poems and played football. After high school, he took college classes at various schools, including City College of New York.
In the early 1940s Rustin joined the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), an organization based on peace and nonviolence. He was also an early member of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), an interracial, nonviolent organization founded to combat racism. Rustin led campaigns and nonviolence workshops for both organizations. As a pacifist he opposed war and refused to fight in World War II (1939–45). Because of that he spent more than two years in jail.
In 1947 Rustin and others were arrested for participating in FOR and CORE’s Journey of Reconciliation, an interracial bus ride through some of the Southern states. At the time Jim Crow laws in the South tried to keep Black and white people separated. The Journey of Reconciliation served as a model for the 1961 Freedom Rides.
Despite his significant contributions to the Civil Rights Movement, Rustin faced challenges and discrimination due to his race, sexual orientation, and political beliefs. As an openly gay man during a time when homosexuality was heavily stigmatized, he often had to work behind the scenes and remained relatively unknown to the general public. In 1953 he was asked to resign from FOR after he was arrested for being homosexual.
He played a crucial role in the organization of several important events, including the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. He was a strong proponent of nonviolent resistance and was instrumental in spreading the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and his philosophy of nonviolent protest. He helped organize a march to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Bayard Rustin’s legacy as a civil rights leader is an enduring one. His dedication to nonviolent activism, his ability to organize and mobilize people, and his courage in the face of adversity continue to inspire generations of activists fighting for equality and justice. In 2013 Rustin was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor. The Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice was founded in 2018, honoring the work he did as a civil rights activist.