In this paper prepared for the School of Non-Violence at Civilian Public Service Camp No. 52, Bayard Rustin examines a report on homicide in Richmond, Virginia, highlighting the effects of segregated housing, unequal treatment under the law, and racial discrimination. He critiques the report’s proposed remedies as superficial, arguing that addressing urban violence requires confronting the structural inequalities that sustain poverty and segregation.
Opening Up Jobs for Minority Group Members: A Strategic Field Manual
This 1944 memorandum finds Bayard Rustin outlining practical strategies for combating employment discrimination through organized economic pressure and direct action. He details methods ranging from negotiations and boycotts to coordinated public demonstrations, emphasizing the power of collective purchasing and disciplined activism. The document serves as an early blueprint for strategic, nonviolent economic organizing.
