*Please note: The exact date of this photograph is unknown.
Amid the stirring energy of Zimbabwe/Rhodesia's transition toward majority rule, Bayard Rustin stands at the heart of a political rally, surrounded by campaign signs in English and indigenous languages. Demonstrators enthusiastically display “Be a Winner” and “Vote” placards, voicing hope and determination for the future of democracy in post-colonial Africa. This photograph captures Rustin actively engaged on the ground, bearing witness to the rise of Black political power after decades of white supremacist governance and colonial oppression.
Rustin’s presence at these pivotal April 1979 elections, invited under Freedom House’s auspices, represents a powerful cross-continental solidarity between American civil rights visionaries and African liberation leaders. Against a backdrop of decades-long struggle for independence and equal rights, Rustin lent his expertise in nonviolent strategy and coalition politics to support the legitimacy of the democratic process. His work in Zimbabwe resonated with his lifelong belief in universal freedom—affirming the global relevance of civil rights, the importance of fair elections, and the enduring struggle against colonial legacies.
Advocate.com Editors. 2023. “Bayard Rustin’s Life and Civil Rights Legacy in Photos.” Advocate.Com, November 17, 2023. https://www.advocate.com/slideshow/2019/1/21/bayard-rustins-life-and-civil-rights-legacy-photos#rebelltitem3.
