Bayard Rustin's Place In History

With the Gaddafi regime collapsing, it's fitting to see on Page 1 of the Washington Post an article on Bayard Rustin's role in the American civil rights movement. Steve Hendrix does a superb job of capturing the essential role Bayard played in making the March on Washington work. The man, who organized the March, was meticulous in planning the details from what kind of sandwiches were appropriate to training the volunteer police. Two subjects Bayard talked to me about--how to schedule the speakers and get some to tone down the rhetoric and the whole issue of toilets so that after the March the effect would not be spoiled by a mess. One source is quoted as saying that Bayard was like "Zelig, showing up at all the events in our age."

Never in the closet when he was growing up, his frank and open homosexuality provoked conflicts within the civil rights community as well as condemnation on the Hill where Strom Thurmond attacked Bayard as a homosexual, communist, draft-dodger--all true at one time. Pressure was always put on Martin Luther King and A. Philip Randolph to fire Bayard but they supported him against the most vicious attacks. At one point, Adam Clayton Powell threatened Martin Luther King, Jr. that he would say that Bayard was Martin's lover if he didn't get rid of him. Martin actually distanced himself from Bayard for a while.

In a short piece, Hendrix captures the essence of the man. But the most important part of the piece is not about Bayard being timely now with his gayness, it's the examples that are included about what he was concerned about when organizing a mass action. These are the lessons others have learned from him and applied elsewhere.