Bayard Rustin: A Hidden Hero

When you think of the civil rights movement whom do you think of? Martin Luther King Jr.? Rosa Parks? Whom you may not think of is a man named Bayard Rustin. Bayard Rustin was a key part in the fight for equality. He used peaceful methods to get his point across opposed to violence and hate. Although being fairly unknown he helped in the battle for peace along with his African-American counterparts.

Bayard was born on March 17, 1910 in West Chester, Pennsylvania. After finishing high school he began to travel and work at many different places. He eventually went on to create a branch in New York for the Congress on Racial Equality. The organization was a pivotal part in the civil rights movement along with the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference), the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), and the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People).

In the 1950's Rustin began to really kick start his involvement in the civil rights movement. He became a close adviser to the well known Martin Luther King Jr. He even became the leader of King's organization SCLC. King and Rustin continued to work together on several different projects throughout their time together. In August of 1963 King and Rustin org

anized the March on Washington. This event would become known as one of the most influential events during the Civil Rights Movement. The March on Washington was a gathering that brought together people of all races. The event was held to preach of the inequality occurring in communities across the U.S. and to encourage change for the better.

The March was very successful with an attendance of more than 200,000 people. After the success of the March Bayard Rustin began to organize many more events. In 1964, Rustin organized a boycott of the New York City Public School System in reply to segregation between black and white students in the district. Rustin went on to continue fighting for equality and peace eventually becoming president of the A. Philip Randolph Institute – a New York City based civil rights group – before his death on August 24, 1987. In 2013, for his success and contribution to help better the lives of African-Americans in a peaceful way Bayard Rustin was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Bayard Rustin was an intelligent, courageous man who used nonviolent methods to combat racial inequality in the United States. His contributions helped to further the actions taken by civil right leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. He was a crucial part of the civil rights movement and helped to bring equality to those who were being treated unfairly. His actions created change and unity in many people of all races.

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