In this column published in The St. Louis American, Bayard Rustin critiques Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew’s 1968 “law and order” campaign, arguing that repression could not address the deeper problems of poverty, racism, and urban inequality. Rustin calls for federal investment in jobs, housing, education, healthcare, and transportation, while urging Black voters to mobilize against a political backlash threatening civil rights gains.
"Now Kennedy: The Bill Mounts Higher" Newspaper Column: Reconciling the Loss of King and RFK
This column finds Bayard Rustin reflecting on the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and its implications for the nation. Mourning both Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rustin argues that their shared commitment to nonviolence, economic justice, and peace offered a path through a time of deep social unrest. He warns that the loss of such leadership leaves a dangerous void, making the pursuit of justice and democracy all the more urgent.
Bayard Rustin’s "The Liberal Coalition and the 1968 Elections": A Blueprint for Economic Realignment
In this election-year essay, Bayard Rustin calls for a powerful coalition between labor, liberals, and the civil rights movement to defeat a reactionary alliance blocking racial and economic justice. He warns that without a serious, unified political strategy—anchored in programs like A. Philip Randolph’s Freedom Budget—the nation risks repeating the betrayal of Reconstruction and abandoning the promise of democracy.
