*Please note: The exact date of this photograph is unknown.
Rustin testifies before the Senate Government Operations subcommittee, making his case for robust federal action to address persistent racial and economic inequality. By taking the witness stand, he translates movement experience into policy language, urging lawmakers to prioritize civil rights enforcement, anti-poverty programs, and protections for working Americans.
In 1966, still in the wake of the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act, Rustin's congressional testimony marked a shift in strategy from street protests to institutional advocacy. He pressed the federal government to extend its commitment beyond legal victories, advocating for meaningful programs to improve housing, education, and employment for marginalized communities. This appearance reflected the movement’s growing insistence that federal intervention remain central to the nation’s promise of equality.
Piccotti, Tyler. 2023. “Bayard Rustin.” Biography, November 17, 2023. https://www.biography.com/activists/bayard-rustin.
