Telegram summarizing major U.S. media coverage of Rhodesia, including an adaptation of a Bayard Rustin article in the Washington Star. Rustin’s analysis, aligned with Freedom House’s conclusions, highlighted the fairness of the Rhodesian elections and urged U.S. support for democratic change. The media also covered debates around sanctions, the refugee crisis in Southeast Asia, and U.S. policy responses.
In 1979, Rhodesia’s political transition attracted significant international media attention, with Rustin’s commentary influencing U.S. public discourse on the legitimacy of electoral reforms and the future of the country. This telegram reflects Rustin’s ongoing engagement in linking civil rights advocacy with global democratic challenges and humanitarian concerns, underscoring the interconnectedness of domestic and international struggles for justice.
U.S. Department of State, “Telegram: Bayard Rustin’s Commentary Featured in U.S. Media Coverage of Rhodesia,” July 9, 1979, National Archives, accessed September 26, 2025, https://aad.archives.gov/aad/createpdf?rid=132402&dt=2776&dl=2169.
