Bayard Rustin: The Man Behind the March on Washington (2021)

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Joelle Avelino Joelle Avelino hide caption

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Joelle Avelino

Joelle Avelino

Joelle Avelino

Bayard Rustin, the man behind the March on Washington, was one of the most consequential architects of the civil rights movement you may never have heard of. Rustin imagined how nonviolent civil resistance could be used to dismantle segregation in the United States. He organized around the idea for years and eventually introduced it to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But his identity as a gay man made him a target, obscured his rightful status and made him feel forced to choose, again and again, which aspect of his identity was most important.

If you would like to learn more about Bayard Rustin:

• Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin by John D'Emilio
• Troublemaker for Justice: The Story of Bayard Rustin, the Man Behind the March on Washington by Jacqueline Houtman, Michael G. Long, Walter Naegle
• I Must Resist: Bayard Rustin's Life in Letters by Bayard Rustin, edited by Michael G. Long

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