Description
In this reflective essay for Friends Journal, Newton Garver (Swarthmore Class of 1951) recounts a “riveting” 1949 address delivered by Bayard Rustin during the college’s weekly “Collection.” Garver describes Rustin not only as a political strategist but also as a man of profound “spiritual grounding” who used the power of Quaker nonviolence to transform even the most hostile environments. The centerpiece of the narrative is Rustin’s graphic account of the 1947 Journey of Reconciliation, during which he and other activists were sentenced to thirty days on a North Carolina chain gang for defying unconstitutional segregation laws.
Garver highlights a specific “heroic” breakthrough. While imprisoned, Rustin deliberately “tried what love might do” on the most hostile guard by maintaining a cheerful, polite composure and asking after the guard’s family for five weeks. Upon Rustin’s release, the guard reportedly shook his “black hand” and said it had been nice to know him. Garver identifies this moment as a profound spiritual victory. To conclude the event, Rustin sang the spiritual “Standing in the Need of Prayer” in a “clear powerful tenor voice,” leaving the academic audience in a hushed and overcome silence that effectively prevented the usual “tough academic scrutiny” of the day.
Historical Context
The 1949 address took place in the aftermath of Irene Morgan v. Commonwealth of Virginia (1946), in which the Supreme Court ruled that state-mandated segregation was an unconstitutional burden on interstate commerce. Garver notes that the Journey of Reconciliation, organized by the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), served as the direct “model” for the more famous Freedom Rides of the 1960s. Rustin and his colleagues were “seasoned veterans” of direct action who sought to test the enforcement of this ruling in the Upper South.
Garver’s account serves as a corrective to modern biographies that often overlook Rustin’s deep religious roots. He emphasizes that Rustin’s identity was inseparable from his Quaker upbringing and his lifelong membership in the 15th Street Meeting in New York City. By referencing largely forgotten works such as Rustin’s 1948 William Penn lecture, In Apprehension How Like a God, Garver argues that Rustin’s worldly wisdom was consistently nourished by a “religious witness” that required him to see the “inner light” in every person, including those who held the chains.
Citations (Chicago Style) Garver, Newton. "Bayard Rustin at Swarthmore College." Friends Journal, March 16, 2012. https://www.friendsjournal.org/bayard-rustin-swarthmore-college/
