This 1980 column finds Bayard Rustin critiquing the television drama Skag for presenting a distorted picture of working-class America that largely erased Black steelworkers from view. He argues that racism had shifted from overt caricature to more subtle forms of exclusion and misrepresentation. Rustin also condemns the show’s condescending portrayal of laborers, calling on the media industry to more honestly and respectfully depict working-class life.
Politics and the Olympics: Solidarity Beyond the Podium
This 1980 column finds Bayard Rustin defending the proposed boycott of the Moscow Olympics following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. While recognizing the sacrifice demanded of athletes, Rustin argues that the boycott was a necessary stand for human rights and international solidarity. Drawing parallels to the 1936 Berlin Olympics, he contends that moral courage and principled action carry a far greater legacy than athletic achievement alone.
Honoring a Quiet Architect of the NAACP: A Tribute to Dr. John Morsell
This piece is Bayard Rustin’s tribute to Dr. John Morsell, a longtime NAACP leader whose behind-the-scenes work helped advance major civil rights victories. Rustin highlights Morsell’s commitment to research, interracial cooperation, and the patient organizational work required to turn the struggle for racial equality into lasting institutional change.
Assessing the New Presidency: The Prospect of Gerald Ford
In this column published in The St. Louis American, Bayard Rustin examines what Black Americans could expect from Gerald Ford’s new presidency, scrutinizing his record on civil rights, school desegregation, and economic policy. Rustin criticizes Ford’s opposition to busing and his broader conservative approach to issues including employment, housing, healthcare, and education, while noting a cautious hope that Ford’s stated desire to serve all Americans might create opportunities for greater engagement and progress.
"Quotas: A Return to the Token" Newspaper Column: Critiquing Numerical Guidelines and Reverse Discrimination
This column explores Bayard Rustin's perspective on affirmative action and the use of quotas to address racial inequality. While affirming the reality of systemic discrimination, Rustin argues that lasting equality requires expanding educational and economic opportunity rather than relying on numerical quotas, which he believed risked reinforcing inequality instead of eliminating it.
"The Decline of Black Studies" Newspaper Column: Evaluating Academic Standards and Compensatory Education
This column finds Bayard Rustin examining the decline of Black Studies enrollment and the broader debate over educational equity. While recognizing the importance of teaching Black history, he argues that separate academic programs should not replace efforts to provide all students with rigorous educational opportunities and meaningful support. Rustin ultimately calls for greater investment in educational resources that address the lasting effects of inequality and expand pathways to professional success.
"The Minimum Wage Veto—An Outrage to Blacks" Newspaper Column: Strategy for Economic Realignment
This column finds Bayard Rustin criticizing President Richard Nixon’s veto of a federal minimum wage increase, arguing that it placed an even greater burden on low-income working families. Rustin contends that raising wages was essential to reducing poverty and strengthening economic opportunity, while urging Black voters and organized labor to build the political power needed to advance policies that support working people.
"The Myths of Black Education" Newspaper Column
This 1973 column finds Bayard Rustin examining changing admissions practices in higher education and questioning approaches intended to advance minority opportunity. Drawing on the work of economist Thomas Sowell, Rustin argues that universities risk replacing genuine educational equity with political assumptions and social engineering. He ultimately emphasizes the importance of supporting students as individuals and ensuring access to meaningful educational opportunities.
Defending Mexican-American Workers in Texas and New Mexico: Supporting the Farah Strike
In this column published in The St. Louis American, Bayard Rustin calls for national support for 3,000 Mexican-American workers striking the Farah Manufacturing Company for the right to organize and form a union free from intimidation and discrimination. Rustin connects the workers’ struggle to the broader civil rights and labor movements, emphasizing the importance of interracial solidarity and arguing that their fight for economic dignity, fair treatment, and workplace rights was part of the same struggle for equality faced by Black Americans.
Nothing New for Blacks: Critiquing Nixon’s New Economic Policy
In this column published in The St. Louis American, Bayard Rustin critiques President Richard Nixon’s economic policies for failing to expand employment and economic opportunity for Black Americans and other low-income workers. He argues that tax incentives for corporations cannot substitute for job creation, training, and public investment aimed at addressing unemployment and poverty.
Bayard Rustin Speaks: The Futility of Terrorism
This 1971 column finds Bayard Rustin condemning acts of violence against police, arguing that such actions ultimately harm the very communities they claim to defend. He warns that embracing violence undermines the moral foundation of the movement and invites further instability and repression. Rustin calls for a steadfast commitment to nonviolence, insisting that true liberation must remain grounded in humane and principled action.
What's In A Name? Rustin on the Politics of Nomenclature
This 1971 column finds Bayard Rustin weighing in on the debate over “Negro,” “Black,” and “Afro-American,” offering a pointed critique of what he saw as an overemphasis on symbolic change. He argues that shifting terminology cannot substitute for the material struggle against poverty and inequality, and warns that such debates risk distracting from the movement’s economic goals. Rustin ultimately defends the term “Negro” as part of a broader strategy focused on coalition-building, full employment, and structural change.
Rustin Calls for Overcoming “Black Rage and White Fear”
1970 New York Times Announcement: Coalition of Leaders Unite to Honor Bayard Rustin
The New York Times announcement details the upcoming honor dinner for Bayard Rustin at the New York Hilton, featuring prominent civil rights and labor leaders as chairmen including A. Philip Randolph, Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, George Meany, and Roy Wilkins. The $100-per-ticket fundraiser aimed to raise $200,000 for the A. Philip Randolph Institute.
"Let's Talk Sense About Crime" Newspaper Column: Dismantling the Myths of Law and Order
This column finds Bayard Rustin urging progressives to confront crime as both a public safety and social justice issue. Rejecting punitive “law and order” rhetoric, he argues that effective crime reduction requires investments in fair policing, criminal justice reform, and economic opportunity. Rustin ultimately contends that full employment and addressing the root causes of poverty are essential to creating safer communities.
Clarifying Political Realignment: Rebuilding the Democratic Coalition and Opposing New Left Extremism
In this column published in The St. Louis American, Bayard Rustin clarifies his views on political realignment, arguing that the democratic left must engage the working class while opposing the disruptive tactics of the New Left. He warns that alienating working-class Americans could strengthen conservative forces and calls for a broader coalition united around economic justice and political stability.
Feminism and Equality: Rustin’s Critique of Middle-Class Reform
This 1970 column finds Bayard Rustin examining the women’s liberation movement through the lens of economic and social justice. While supporting demands such as reproductive rights and childcare, he argues that true equality requires broader structural reforms like full employment and socialized healthcare. Rustin critiques the movement’s middle-class focus and calls for a more inclusive vision rooted in the needs of working-class and Black women.
Empowering Low-Income Workers Through Collective Bargaining
This column examines a major United Federation of Teachers contract that significantly improved wages, benefits, and career opportunities for thousands of predominantly Black and Puerto Rican school paraprofessionals in New York City. Rustin presents the agreement as an example of how collective bargaining and worker organization can create meaningful economic advancement and challenge poverty through self-determination.
"The Rationalization of Neglect" Newspaper Column
This 1970 column finds Bayard Rustin critiquing the Nixon administration’s civil rights policies, arguing that the concept of “benign neglect” masked a retreat from meaningful commitments to racial equality. Focusing especially on education, Rustin contends that cuts to social programs and resistance to school integration undermined opportunities for Black communities. He ultimately defends desegregation and stronger federal investment as essential tools for achieving educational and economic progress.
The Robin Hood of the Ruling Class: Criticizing Nixon’s Tax Proposals
In this column published in The St. Louis American, Bayard Rustin criticizes President Richard Nixon’s tax policies for shifting the burden onto working- and middle-class Americans while benefiting corporations and the wealthy. He warns that economic inequality and racial division reinforce one another, allowing political and economic elites to maintain their power.
