This “Making Gay History” interview with Walter Naegle reveals the personal life behind Bayard Rustin’s activism and the resilience it took to fight for freedom while living in the shadows as a gay man - recognition that finally arrived decades later.
Ella Baker on the Foundations of the SCLC and SNCC
In this interview, Ella Baker reflects on building the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and emphasizes the shift from legal strategy to mass grassroots action. She highlights the behind-the-scenes leadership of Bayard Rustin and others, while stressing that the movement’s true strength came from ordinary people organizing from the ground up.
